Councils will be given greater powers to deal with nuisance in their communities – including dumped shopping trolleys – under new laws passed in State Parliament this week.
Reforms to the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act 2016 will provide new tools for councils to work with retailers to prevent and deal with abandoned shopping trolleys.
The changes – which are set to take effect in the first half of 2027– aim to address the persistent issue and help keep neighbourhoods clean, safe and welcoming.
Measures to be implemented include:
- Labelling shopping trolleys with retailers' trading name and contact information or a QR code to report abandoned trolleys and enable them to be returned.
- Setting timeframes for the collection of shopping trolleys.
- Supporting councils to work with premises where abandoned trolleys are an ongoing problem, such as installing additional signage or extra trolley bays.
- Councils can only require a plan of action to be developed for retailers with more than 20 trolleys.
Dumped shopping trolleys, which block footpaths, create traffic hazards and can end up in waterways, are considered litter under the amended Act.
- Councils can only require a plan of action to be developed for retailers with more than 20 trolleys.
These amendments follow extensive consultation with LGA South Australia, councils, industry and the public.
Upon notification, retailers will have three business days to collect the trolley or face council-issued penalties, including an expiation fee of $500 or a maximum penalty of $5,000 if councils decide to prosecute through the courts.
A shorter timeframe applies if the trolley causes a risk to the public, with tougher penalties in place for non-compliance.
Exemptions apply if the trolley is too dangerous to collect, it cannot be retrieved using standard means or equipment, or a retailer would breach regulatory requirements or other laws, such as trespass.
Councils also have flexibility to vary or revoke notices where appropriate – and can seek recovery costs of emergency clean-ups of illegal dumping.
It is an offence to remove and abandon a trolley from a shopping centre precinct with fines up to $210 for individuals or $500 for a body corporate, or a court-issued maximum penalty of up to $5,000 for the littering.
Other changes already implemented through regulation as part of the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act 2016 review include councils now being able to assist their communities with resolution of light nuisance complaints, such as an outside floodlight that shines into a neighbour's window.
As put by Lucy Hood
Dumped trolleys are an unwelcome and unsightly addition to our streets and suburbs, and can pose a risk beyond public nuisance.
We're getting the balance right between giving councils the tools they need to address an issue that impacts many communities and ensuring reasonable requirements for retailers.
The laws have been widely consulted on, with time given to industry to adopt the measures.
As put by Joe Szakacs
Abandoned shopping trolleys are an eyesore that neither South Australians nor visitors to our great state want to see.
These laws clarify the chain of responsibility for dealing with dumped trolleys, which will see them picked up sooner.
Our Government has listened to the broader community and delivered this positive outcome for the state.
As put by LGA South Australia Immediate Past President, Mayor Dean Johnson
LGA has been advocating for these changes for many years and the amendments strike a sensible balance between retailers, local residents and the councils who will enforce the new laws.
Dumped, abandoned and discarded shopping trolleys are not only unsightly, but they create risk hazards, block footpaths and waterways, and undermine the amenity of local areas.
We commend the government for working with our sector to introduce these important reforms that will keep our communities tidier and safer.
