Wagga Council to call for more laydown facilities on highways
The lack of laydown change facilities along major highways for those with a disability has been described as “inappropriate” by councillors from a Riverina council.
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Wagga councillors have called on the State Government for more action on the “critical” issue of laydown change facilities for people with disabilities and their carers along major highways.
Councillors last night voted unanimously to write to the government’s disability services and transport ministers to fund the installation of the facilities at major service stations along highways.
Wagga currently has three lay-down facilities, including a mobile version, while the state has only 13, according to The National Public Toilet Map.
A laydown facility is a purpose-built change facility that includes a height-adjustable
adult change table for those living with disabilities and their carers.
The council will also advocate to the National Construction Code to include laydown change facilities as a requirement.
Kerein Mullins, a disability inclusion advocate and carer of her 22-year-old daughter who has cerebral palsy, welcomed the news.
“It shows the council being proactive and willing to fight not only for Wagga but also the state,” Ms Mullins said.
“It’s really important to back people with disabilities because they also want to see the world and not feel isolated.”
Ms Mullins said her advocacy became more prominent in the past 12 months after it was evident that the issue was missing from the state agenda.
Mayor Greg Conkey, who moved the motion, said the government is “lacking” in providing the facilities to people with disabilities who travel along highways.
“It’s a very logical move on behalf of this council to lobby the state government to do that,” he said.
“If such a facility was to be included in the construction of a new service station, it would not add too much to the price”.
Speaking last night during the meeting, Cr Tim Koschel recounted how he came to advocating for the facilities after meeting with a mother who raised the issue in 2016.
“It blew me away — it just doesn’t affect the person who needs these facilities, it affects the whole family,” Cr Koschel said.
Similarly, Cr Dan Hayes said these facilities were about freedom and accessibility.
“People who do travel and need these facilities are left with some pretty terrible options of getting changed on the floor of a public bathroom,” he said.
Cr Hayes noted that when travelling between Wagga and Sydney, the closest facility is in Campbelltown.
Cr Rod Kendall, who chairs a disability service, said it was a “critical issue” that was close to his heart.
“It’s not appropriate — every major highway should have a laydown facility at least every hour along those stretches,” he said.
In the 2019-20 budget estimates hearings last year, Minister Gareth Ward said “existing facilities have been funded from a variety of sources as part of the disability inclusion agenda” when asked about how much funding was dedicated to installing the facilities.
He said the government did not keep data about the number of funding for such facilities.
He said he received a request from Local Government NSW for funds to install facilities on the highway; however, he referred it to Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance because “the matter falls within that portfolio's responsibilities”.
Mr Ward and other relevant State Government departments have been contacted for comment.
Earlier this month, Shadow Minister for Disability Inclusion Penny Sharpe visited Wagga to launch a petition for better planning and funding of the facilities.