Residents should see fewer shopping trolleys abandoned on nature strips, in parks and by the roadside after new systems were put in place this week to ensure retailers that provide trolleys have containment systems in place.
“Over recent months, Transport Canberra and City Services has been working closely with major retail providers to ensure they comply with shopping trolley management and the regulatory requirements of the Litter Act 2004,” Minister for Transport and City Services Meegan Fitzharris said.
“This means that major retailers in the ACT should now have containment systems in place such as coin operated locking systems, electronic wheel locking mechanisms or staff surveillance to help stop shopping trolleys being taken away from the shopping precinct.
“Customers may have noticed new coin lock systems being rolled out across supermarkets and shopping centres recently. This is the result of calls from the public for more to be done to stop shopping trolleys being abandoned or ending up in our bush and waterways.
“This has been an ongoing and problematic issue. Abandoned trolleys create safety and environmental hazards as well as being an eyesore.”
Minister Fitzharris also announced a two week blitz on trolleys has commenced across shopping centre precincts.
“City rangers will use apps developed by retailers to advise them of shopping trolleys located outside shopping centre precincts for their collection.
“Where trolleys are not collected by retailers, city rangers will seize and impound them. Retailers are then required to pay a $123 fee to retrieve the impounded trolley.
“Although the new shopping trolley containment systems will not stop all trolleys from leaving shopping precincts, evidence from other jurisdictions suggests they do cause a significant reduction,” Minister Fitzharris concluded.
The major retailers in Gungahlin, Coles, Woolworths, Big W and Kmart have all implemented coin/token operating locks on their trolleys. Supabarn in Casey and Crace have advised My Gungahlin they currently have no plans to put locks on their trolleys but if too many were going missing or there were too many complaints about dumped trolleys they would review it at the time.
Members of the community are reminded that they can report abandoned trolleys to Access Canberra on 13 22 81 or via the Fix My Street portal at www.act.gov.au/fixmystreet
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