Financial planner Dianne Case, whose firm Firefly Insurance has “adopted” Tamworth Skate Park in Peel St opposite the PCYC, said she was happy to pick up rubbish at the park on weekdays, but she has drawn the line at returning shopping trolleys to their respective homes.

Ms Case said, since December, she’d noticed more and more trolleys being left at the park and people were using them as “rubbish bins”.

“It’s not only at the skate park they’re being left – I see them abandoned everywhere,” Ms Case said.

“Most mornings, I walk down Swan St in North Tamworth and there are trolleys down there, too.

“On Thursday, I walked around Piper St, near Coles, and counted 10 trolleys. The manager told me they’re worth about $300 each, so you would think it would be in the best interests of a supermarket to ensure their trolleys were collected promptly – not left lying around.”

Tamworth Regional Council road infrastructure manager Murray Russell said collecting shopping trolleys wasn’t something council was keen to get involved with, but its hand had been forced to some extent.

“Council has been impounding abandoned trolleys in a similar way to how we impound stray dogs,” Mr Russell said.

“The supermarkets are notified and they pay a $70 fee to get them back. We don’t collect abandoned trolleys during the day, as that’s when the trolley collectors are out and about.

“It’s not an activity we want to be doing as trolley collecting is not council’s core business, but we acknowledge people want the place to look tidy and if a trolley has been left somewhere for a certain time, we will impound it.” 

Ms Case said she would like to see supermarket operators be more proactive in retrieving their trolleys.