Perth Voice Interactive

A CRACKDOWN on shopping trolleys littering Bayswater is underway to force shops to clean them up.

Late last year Cr Steven Ostaszewskyj proposed they get tough after seeing trollies abandoned on footpaths, verges, in parks, and even dumped in water reserves.

Sometimes the trolleys end up hundreds of metres from their parent shop, or accumulate in inexplicable piles. 

The new policy’s now been voted in giving shops just 48 hours to retrieve abandoned trolleys after being notified, rather than the previous five business days. The fine’s also been increased from $100 to $450 if they don’t.

“I was really happy councillors helped me get the five business days down to 48 hours and helped me to get the fines increased for these abandoned trolleys,” Cr Ostaszewskyj said. 

“I’m hoping it’s a sign for our residents, ratepayers and visitors: Come to our city by all means, but please don’t trash the place, and most certainty don’t leave your trolleys lying around.

“And to Woolworths, Target, Coles, K-Mart, Aldi and Spudshed, can you guys lift your game a bit please and actually go around the streets maybe once a day and pick up those abandoned trolleys, please?”

Meanwhile the Morley Seals pictured, a victim of abandoned trolleys, beer bottles, and other jetsam, were removed three weeks ago.

Bayswater council decided the seals and their fountain, crafted by late artist Vittorio Ulunovich in 1997, were too badly damaged to repair, so they instead set aside $100,000 to remove them and landscape the site.

by DAVID BELL