Lake Caroline has become a dumping ground for shopping trolleys and litter.
In the past six months, Melton council has fished more than 30 cubic metres of debris
from the lake, including 18 shopping trolleys, styrene foam packing material and other forms of litter.
Melton operations manager Leslie Stokes said lake litter was an ongoing problem, despite the strategies in place to help deal with it.
“Melton City council conducts regular scheduled cleans of Lake Caroline one to two times a week,” he said.
“However, an abundance of litter from surrounding areas means rubbish is frequently being blown into the lake.
“On some occasions, council officers have fished up to three cubic metres of debris from the lake in a single day.
“In addition to regular litter cleans of the lake’s edge, council aims to use a boat for on-lake litter removal three times a year, usually after a storm event. The most recent boat clean was completed last week.”
Despite the cleaning endeavours, the lake has become a hotspot for abandoned shopping trolleys.
The issue first became one of concern in May of this year when eight trolleys were fished out of the lake, along with 8.9 cubic metres of debris.
The following months did little to improve the situation, with two trolleys and 4.6 cubic metres of debris removed from the lake in June, followed by 12.1 cubic metres of debris and three trolleys in July and 5.7 cubic metres and five trolleys in August.
While the upkeep of the lake falls to council, discarded shopping trolleys remain the responsibility of retailers, with Mr Stokes imploring neighbouring businesses to help combat the problem.
“Council is urging local retailers, residents and visitors to the lake to be mindful of how they dispose of their rubbish, to help do their bit to ensure Lake Caroline continues to flourish for wildlife and locals to enjoy,” he said.
