Two stacks have developed in the council-owned Woolworths car park in the central business district with Harris Farm and Woolworths trolleys making up the bulk.

The larger of the piles is centrally located near the toilet block while the other is on the southern side. A number of the trolleys are damaged.

Harris Farm spokesman Mitch Bennett said the company was aware of the problem and had been working on a solution for some time but staff shortages forced by COVID-19 isolation had hampered their efforts.

"We're at the point these days, we're just happy if people show up to work, it's that bad," he said.

Mr Bennett said the company had been trying to secure a contractor to remove trolleys.

"You'd be surprised over time how many trolleys get damaged every day or how many get dropped off by the council that someone has decided to kick in," he said, adding last year the company took delivery of 150 trolleys with that number now down to 30 in working order.

"How it actually works is someone will come down and fix them. But we've just struggled with COVID and everything," he said.

A spokesperson for Woolworths said its team at Woolworths on Anson Street were aware of the issue and would focus on checking the area more frequently.

"Trolleys are provided for the convenience of our customers and the vast majority do the right thing in returning them," the spokesperson said.

Cr Jeff Whitton said Council seemed to be in a "constant tussle" with trolley owners to get them to improve their management practices in regards to the equipment.

"The current situation in Council's car park between Anson and Kite Streets is not a good look for the city and raises a number of safety and social concerns," he said.

"To the locals or those visiting Orange, it reflects poorly on the professional attitude of the brands on those trolleys in regard to the safety of the community and the aesthetics in observing Orange's tidy town policies."

While acknowledging the pile was an eyesore, Mr Bennett said the car park was in desperate need of more trolley return bays.

"We've been asking council to put in appropriate trolley bays in the car park. You go to any car park in Orange and you'll see trolley bays.

"There's one near the toilets but that's supposed to service us and all the other stores. It's nowhere near big enough," he said.

The Woolworths spokesman reminded residents of its Trolley Tracker service which allows members of the public to report abandoned trolleys via a free phone call (1800 641 497) or online so trolleys can be removed from the area in a timely fashion.

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