By Tate Papworth
New public toilets are in the pipeline for key locations around Brimbank.
Balmoral Park in Derrimut and Selwyn Park in Albion will have toilets installed within two years as part of the council’s public toilet strategy.
Green Gully Reserve, Delahey Recreation Reserve and Bon Thomas Reserve are also in line for better amenities.
Brimbank mayor Margaret Giudice said the final draft of the strategy, adopted at the council’s recent meeting, balanced the need for adequate facilities with the significant costs associated with installing and maintaining public toilets.
She said it outlined a fair and even distribution of public toilets in parks and public places.
The strategy includes assessing Brimbank’s suburban parks and activity centres to determine where new or upgraded public toilets are urgently needed.
Those identified should be provided within the next four years, subject to budget approval.
“During public consultation, a number of people requested public toilets be installed at Balmoral Park, Derrimut and Selwyn Park, Albion,” Cr Giudice said.
“Public toilets are expected to be built at both these locations within the next two years, with further public toilets installed at Green Gully Reserve [replacing an existing public toilet], Delahey Recreation Reserve and Bon Thomas Reserve within the next four years, subject to annual budget approval.
“Importantly, this strategy also recommends that public toilets be designed to cater for people with all abilities and meet our community’s diverse social, physical, cultural and gender needs.”
Cr Bruce Lancashire said the strategy was well supported.
“This is something that is very much of interest to the local community,” he said.
“When we all go to these parks to open them up as playgrounds and other things, inevitably, the question arises as to if there is a toilet or if there’s going to be one, so I’m very pleased to see this adopted.”
