Shoalhaven's abandoned shopping trolley problem

They just seem to appear from nowhere and after a phone call I received recently I now see them [abandoned trolleys] everywhere I go.

The phone call came from an Ulladulla resident who regularly pulls trolleys, along with all sorts of rubbish, away from the Millards Creek area.

The creek's banks, near the Ulladulla Civic Centre, are noted for being a trolley dumping area - I had to get out in the rain once to move a few abandoned trolleys away so I could park my car.

A day after the call about Millards Creek and shopping trolleys I was walking around Culburra Beach and guess what I saw? Yes, more shopping trolleys.

Some rusty-looking trolleys were sitting at the skate park and then I saw that more had been dumped on a nearby vacant block.

I am starting to think abandoned trolleys are stalking me.

I went for a drive into Nowra and started counting the number of trolleys I saw. I got into double figures and then lost interest.

I have come to the conclusion that it's easy to find abandoned shopping trolleys in any Shoalhaven village with a major supermarket.

And yes many other places around NSW would have the same issue - not just the Shoalhaven.

So how do we solve this issue with unsightly shopping trolleys?

Good question - glad I asked it.

I have no idea - so I went to Shoalhaven City Council for answers.

This is what they said:

"Abandoned shopping trolleys are an eyesore in our streets and parks, and they can also obstruct footpaths and become a tripping hazard," a council spokesperson said.

"They can end up in our waterways which is harmful to our local flora and fauna."

Council can offer when it comes to getting rid of these trolleys.

"While council rangers undertake targeted patrols periodically, we ask the community to report trolleys to the appropriate supermarket, or contact 'Trolley Tracker' which provides a service to retailers and local governments (call 1800 641 497 or go trolleytracker.com).," the spokesperson said.

"Trolley Tracker is solely dedicated to recovering abandoned trolleys and helps councils across Australia tackle this problem. People should contact council if their issue has not been resolved via Trolley Tracker.

"However, we've had great success with Trolley Tracker retrieving abandoned trolleys across the region."

Looks like it comes down to us as a community to help tackle this issue.

I am saving that number in my phone and bookmarking trolleytracker.com.

My war on shopping trolleys is on a roll - unless the wheels are wobbly and I can't steer straight.