Gold Coast City is undertaking a review which will see some park toilets removed and others fixed
Our public toilets are under a citywide review. What has council’s loo probe found? Some are too old or in the wrong place - and fixing this will cost millions of ratepayer dollars.
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Our public toilets are under a citywide review. What has council’s loo probe found? Some are too old or in the wrong place - and fixing this will cost millions of ratepayer dollars.
Gold Coast City maintains 262 amenities facilities. These are single toilets, disabled ones and others which have “change rooms” for parents with babies.
What the review has found so far is 73 toilet blocks are over 40 years old.
“There are a lot of toilets out there not performing a service we need. And there are a number of toilets out there that in locations they shouldn’t be,” an officer says.
The challenge is which ones are to be demolished. Several of them could, if the population suddenly increases in their location, become valuable services.
“We need to sweat the assets as best we can,” an officer added.
So is this really a major concern, in terms of citywide business, for you, the ratepayer?
Loos can cost more than your home. In 2017, the City copped criticism for outlaying $400,000 on a public toilet in Surfers Paradise which had exposed open-air urinals.
The budget for “public amenities renewal, replacement and refurbishment” tops $3 million.
Each toilet facility costs about $15,000 to maintain and clean - more than 5000 call-outs to staffers for jobs each year.
Graffiti alone is costing ratepayers half a million dollars. This has led to 117 loos being locked up overnight.
They are used by the homeless to shower and shelter. They are not a front door but an important one to visitors. Try visiting the park toilets at Brunswick Heads on a weekend.
The review has found more than seven per cent of facilities are in very poor condition and would need to be replaced in the next two years.
More than half are in fair condition but their life expectancy is only five to 10 years.
Acting Mayor Donna Gates wants an updated brief before full council votes on moving forward with more spending, and deciding which toilet blocks are removed.
“I haven’t been briefed at all on this. I’m not actually sure where all the amenities are,” she said. The report suggests other councillors have been consulted.
Transport committee chair Darren Taylor believes input from all councillors will be critical to determine which loos remain and those that must go.
“At the moment we are evaluating the status of each of the toilets. As they come to end of life we will evaluate this location, and is it the appropriate location,” he said.
The reviews highlights the worst and best facilities. At Paradise Point Parklands, there is a state-of-art new building including four ambulant toilets, eight standard ones, a facility accessible for those with disabilities and changing rooms. Its features include aluminium roofing and a skylight.
From personal experience, it handles big crowds, the design is excellent and it’s a great toot.
The recommendation is a “funding allocation” for similar facilities. Done properly, we are not splashing ratepayer dollars up against the wall here.
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