Nimbin’s wait for public toilet nears end game with Lismore council

160,000 visitors a year with nowhere else to go. Read why a northern NSW village is holding on - even after 15 years - for a new public toilet block.

The push is on for a new toilet block at Nimbin’s Peace Park after 15 years of lobbying by residents.

Lismore City Council unanimously voted to endorse and support Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin MP’s efforts to seek funding from the NSW Government to construct an accessible toilet at Peace Park in Nimbin.

There is only one public access toilet in Nimbin – near the Community Centre – despite some 160,000 people travelling through the alternative tourist village every year.

A motion to support a new toilet block was tabled at the Tuesday council meeting to seek state government grant funding to build a facility with disability access.

Cr Elly Bird said the lack of disability access toilets was a failing of council to the community and said it was a long time coming, calling the existing facilities “not adequate” and that it should have been adopted in council’s budget.

Gwen Trimble, member of the Nimbin Advisory Group said the need for additional public toilets was acknowledged some years ago, with multiple Nimbin community groups pushing for the project, but they had been “repeatedly unsuccessful” .

Cr Electra Jensen asked council why it had taken so long for council to get a modern toilet built in Nimbin. Cr Bird explained that every year the toilet block was on the budget agenda, and every year the can was kicked down the road.

Cr Rob said Ms Saffin was seeking $350,000 in grant funding for a toilet – $300,000 for construction and $50,000 for five years of maintenance.

Ms Trimble told Cr Rob that even if Ms Saffin was successful in getting the funding from the Federal Government – which there is no guarantee – Lismore City Council would have to indicate that they would be willing to accept the funding.

She pointedly reminded Cr Rob of council’s history of refusing federal grants to avoid long-term maintenance costs, referring to a leaked media release from Page MP Kevin Hogan‘s office showing council turned down $2 million funding to save the beloved Lismore Lake Pool.

The push is on for a new public toilet at Nimbin.