Council released the Draft Public Toilet Strategy for public comment between 13 January and 10 February 2020.
Majority of the feedback received from the community was in regards to:
- Requests for new public toilets at a number of locations
- Adjustment to the proposed opening and closing times
- General maintenance items relating to individual toilets
Contributions from the community were taken on board, with changes made to the draft strategy.
The main changes from the draft strategy to the adopted strategy include:
- Requests for new facilities were included in the indicative capital placement and refurbishment plan. The new sites added as a result of community consultation include Craigmuir Lakes (Mooroopna), Mooroopna Recreation Reserve, Shepparton East (Midland Highway), Lake Bartlett (Tatura) and the Australian Botanical Gardens
- The proposed 8am-8pm operating hours has been changed to “daylight hours”
- Soap to be installed in suitable locations
The strategy applies to public toilets within the Greater Shepparton municipality that are owned and managed by Council. The strategy excludes toilets within permanently staffed Council buildings, community centres, local commercial centres and leased areas.
Councillors also acknowledged soap dispensers should be installed within public amenities in the CBD and suitable safe locations, and that soap will be installed at the Maude Street public amenity block.
“Council aims to provide high quality public amenities and keep these in a clean and tidy state to provide for our community and visitors to our great city,” Mayor Cr Seema Abdullah said.
“Keeping out public toilets at an acceptable level is crucial in the current COVID-19 climate.
“Thank you to all members of the community who took the time to submit feedback during the consultation period. This feedback helped achieve a final document that best represents and reflects the community’s expectations regarding these important facilities.”
You can view the Public Toilet Strategy here.
