‘Unkempt and disorganised’: Canning to meet shopping centre giants over abandoned trolleys

Written By Stephen

Moving from Birmingham to Perth had it's challenges...So I made a blog to document what I learnt.

Another Perth council wants to take a tougher stance on abandoned shopping trolleys amid claims they are eyesores, safety hazards and used for store theft.

The City of Canning voted on Tuesday night for its mayor and chief executive to arrange a meeting with shopping centre giant Scentre Group — which operates Westfield Carousel — to advocate for trolley containment measures.

The motion from councillors Mark Bain and Joanne Page also demands district level centres including the Lynwood Shopping Centre and Bunnings Cannington be written to about the trolleys issue and that city staff create an ongoing public information campaign about dumped carts.

Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Cr Page said area of Canning were often laden with abandoned shopping trolleys — an offence under city local law, with the onus on retailers to remove them.

“They can block pedestrian pathways, create obstacles for people with mobility impairments and cause accidents for cyclists and pedestrians,” she said.

“I have personally treated a teenage patient with multiple fractures after they went down a skate bowl in a shopping trolley, which required months of rehabilitation.

“I have personally witnessed a trolley loaded with groceries be sprinted across four lanes of high road traffic outside the Riverton Coles with a security guard in pursuit, but definitely unable to keep up.”

Canning councillor Mark Bain.
Camera IconCanning councillor Mark Bain said retailers’ current collection methods were not working. Credit: Supplied

Cr Bain said retailers’ current collection methods were not working.

“Abandoned shopping trolleys reduce the amenity and liveability of our suburbs,” he said.

“They make Canning streets and parks look untidy, unwelcoming and uncared for.”

They said issuing retailers with infringement notices had made little impact, but wheel locking and coin deposit systems had proved successful.

“It is no coincidence that of all the many abandoned shopping trolleys we have reported in the area, none were from Aldi Cannington who use the deposit system,” their motion said.

Canning’s decision comes the same week the City of Swan ramped up measures to tackle the problem of abandoned carts, announcing it would start collecting and impounding trolleys left in public areas. Retailers will have to pay a fee for their return and collect them.

An impoundment facility for shopping trolleys in the City of Swan.
Camera IconAn impoundment facility for shopping trolleys in the City of Swan. Credit: City of Swan

If the trolleys are not collected, the city will dispose of them — but not the fee, which will remain over the retailer.

Swan mayor Tanya Richardson said it was a tough but necessary approach.

“We’ve worked with retailers to explain our intent and encouraged them to improve their trolley management practices, providing suggestions and demonstrating our willingness to work with them to solve this problem,” she said.

“This new local law gives us the ability to enforce the effective management of trolleys without costing our ratepayers.”

source