Stray shopping trolleys – those clunky, rusting relics of grocery runs gone rogue – are about to meet their match in Hume.
Council has officially had enough of footpaths blocked, parks invaded, and streets littered with what councillor Naim Kurt dramatically dubbed a “sea of stray steel baskets”.
At the Monday April 14 council meeting, councillor Sam Misho led the charge with a notice of motion to clamp down on trolley dumping, vowing that from July 2025 retailers will face stricter enforcement– and fines– under the General Local Law 2023.
“This is something I raised back in 2021,” Cr Misho said.
“We need to take a very strong stance. It’s unsafe, unsightly, and frankly, we should actually tackle it.”
Cr Misho took aim at major supermarket chains, accusing them of outsourcing responsibility.
“There are retailers making super profits, but they get trolley contractors at dirt-cheap rates, who then sub-contract to smaller operators who can barely pay wages. That’s why we see trolleys scattered all over our neighbourhoods.”
Under the new motion, all retailers in Hume must implement coin-operated trolleys by July 1.
Councillor Steve Gagen applauded the motion, and said it shifts the burden away from customers and back onto the corporations.
“It’s like making McDonald’s or other fast-food companies responsible for the litter,” Cr Gagen said.
However, Cr Gagen did express concerns about the effectiveness of coin-lock systems, pointing to Banksia Gardens where “trains of trolleys” are often found linked together and dumped.
Despite stronger local laws, fines, signage, and countless emails to supermarket headquarters, Cr Kurt said the problem persisted.
Cr Kurt then delivered the evening’s most theatrical moment, waving a prop letter featuring what he dubbed “The shopping cart theory,”calling it the ultimate test of civic virtue.
“The shopping cart is the ultimate litmus test for whether a person is capable of self-government,” it read.
“To return the cart is objectively right, but it’s not illegal to abandon it. The shopping cart is the apex example of whether someone will do the right thing without being forced.”
