Kids caught short after public toilets locked before family fireworks on New Year’s Eve

Children were forced to urinate in bushes after a set of public toilets were shut just before the New Year’s Eve family fireworks.

Families watching the early New Year’s Eve fireworks at Princes Park were caught short after security officers locked the public toilets.

CHILDREN were forced to urinate in bushes after security officers shut a public toilet at a Hobart park where hundreds of families were watching the New Year’s Eve family fireworks.

More than 300 people were at Princes Park on Monday night to watch the family fireworks when a security officer, working on behalf of Hobart City Council, arrived to shut the toilets at 9pm.

Sophie Hiraeth posted on the Hobart City Council Facebook page demanding answers.

“Whose stupid idea was it to send someone out to lock up the public toilets at Princes Park at 9.15pm, 15 mins before the fireworks, when all the kids are being called off the playground and lining up to pee?” she wrote.

“Bloody hell, at least wait until after 9:30pm when the families have left the park.”

A security officer arrives to lock the public toilets in Princes Park, Battery Point, on New Year’s Eve. Picture: SUPPLIED

Karl Spouse told the Mercury that Kevlar Security Solutions personnel arrived before the 9.30pm fireworks to lock up the toilets on the direction of council, meaning children were forced to urinate in bushes.

“I think it was a silly decision by the council to not inform the security to perhaps shut it at a later time,” he said.

“It was inappropriate for the council to overlook the fact the toilets were going to be closed before the 9.30pm family fireworks.”

A Hobart City Council spokesman said the council would investigate the Princes Park incident and apologised for the inconvenience caused.

The spokesman said the Princes Park toilet was normally closed at 9pm.

A Kevlar Security Solutions spokesman confirmed the company performed work for the council but did not elaborate on the toilet incident.

Friends of Princes Park spokesman David Hook, who was at the park watching the fireworks, said he noticed people grumbling about the toilets but thought it was because they were busy.

Federal Labor Lyons MP Brian Mitchell said he was contacted by one of his constituents regarding the toilet debacle.

“Expecting revellers to not have toilet facilities seems a bit much,” he said.

“I would expect the council would have very good reasons for why they closed those toilets.”

The council has spent $4.52 million building and redeveloping public toilets across Hobart during the past three years.

Former Hobart lord mayor Sue Hickey made upgrading public infrastructure such as toilets her pet project during her tenure.

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