Hobart City Council officers recommend against permanently displaying trans and gender diverse posters

Hobart City Council officers have recommended against permanently displaying trans and gender diverse posters in the city’s public toilets, but a vending machine with free sanitary products could be trialled in one facility. FIND OUT WHERE

Hobart City Council Councillor Holly Ewin is pictured at her Sandy Bay shop, Fiori. She speaks about solutions to the homelessness crisis in Tasmania. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

HOBART City Council officers have recommended against permanently displaying trans and gender diverse posters in the city’s public toilets.

In a report, set to go before council’s parks and recreation committee on Thursday night, officers said they supported the inclusion of the awareness posters in an annual display rotation at 10 different convenience facilities.

Councillor Holly Ewin, who brought the initiative to council, was disappointed they hadn’t been recommended for permanent display but said that would require a much bigger project.

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“We’ll have to get some more information in terms of cost and it will probably be something that does have to go out for community consultation because it’s more of an infrastructure [project],” Cr Ewin said.

“Currently to my knowledge isn’t anything like it anywhere in Australia so it’s a brand new thing so it would be quite time consuming and expensive.”

Hobart City Council Councillor Holly Ewin is pictured at her Sandy Bay shop, Fiori. She speaks about solutions to the homelessness crisis in Tasmania. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Cr Ewin said council had already decided to display the posters in the annual rotation.

Cr Ewin said the posters would send a message to trans and gender diverse people that “we see them, they’re welcome in our community and they have every right to use public facilities as much as everybody else does”.

The report says the aim of the posters was to attempt to break down barriers in the trans and gender diverse community on making the use of public toilets a more comfortable experience.

They will also aim to educate the community on the requirements of the gender diverse population and their rights in using such facilities.

Another report that will also be presented to the committee recommends council support a three month trial of a Pinkbox Vending Machine in the Kemp St public female toilets to provide free sanitary items.

The cost of the trial is estimated at $11,500.

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