When Nature Calls, Council Delivers With New Crappers For Coogee Beach

By Angela Faherty on May 6, 2014 in News

Coogee beachgoers may never find themselves caught short again following proposals by Randwick City Council to double the number of public toilets available in and around the beachside area.

At a meeting in late March, councillors debated the merits of creating additional bathroom facilities to cater for the convenience of the general public. These included building additional male, female and accessible toilets as well as showers and changing rooms on the lower beach promenade where the current lifeguard office is located.

However, despite the council resolving to proceed with the motion, it seems there is a price on calls of nature, with three councillors lodging a rescission motion pooh-poohing the plan, primarily because of the way in which the budget was going to be spent.

The draft report proposed allocating $4.3 million for the project in the 2014-15 Randwick Council budget, but how the council spends its pennies is set to be revised at another meeting on April 22.

The proposal follows ongoing concern that the existing toilets in Goldstein Reserve, near the Arden Street bus stop, are not enough to cater for the Coogee Beach crowds, particularly over summer.

In fact, one disgruntled resident went as far as calling the current facilities ‘bus stop toilets’ on the Your Say Randwick website, before criticising the rather unsavoury ambiance the current facilities provide.

“This is really toilets for the bus shelter rather than for the beach. It is too far from the beach, especially from the northern or southern ends, to really be accessible,” the comment stated.

“There should be a set of toilets and showers below promenade level as there was in past years. There also needs to be regular cleaning of these toilets. They are far from pleasant, to be used only in emergencies.”

Randwick Mayor Scott Nash agreed that the current facilities are far from adequate and said that building additional facilities was essential.

“Building additional toilets and change facilities on the lower promenade, closer to the sand and sea, makes a lot of sense. At the moment, each year we need to bring in temporary toilets to alleviate the pressure on the existing toilets in Goldstein Reserve. A more permanent solution is definitely necessary,” he said.

While many people would assume the installation of public facilities would be fairly straightforward, Cr Nash said a lot of work needed to be done before the building can go ahead.

“Detailed designs would need to be prepared along with a comprehensive community consultation program. There is still a lot more work to do before we can start building. We need to first draft detailed plans and then we’ll be seeking feedback from the community on the proposal,” he said.

Despite Cr Nash’s concerns, it would seem the proposal is likely to be met with widespread appreciation given the fact that many residents have previously expressed their anger at the level of public urination and defecation that goes on around the beach and in their yards as those feeling an urge to release struggle with the tyranny of distance from the current facilities.

In fact, Coogee residents will be pleased to know the temporary toilet facilities at the aptly named Dunningham Reserve will be retained until a more permanent solution is found. According to the minutes from the council meeting, this will provide a “much needed facility for people walking through or picnicking in the park”. The minutes went on to state: “Toilets are not just needed in Dunningham Reserve during the height of the summer/swimming season. Dunningham Reserve is used twelve months of the year”.

Further details of the plans, including a draft budget, will be discussed at the next Randwick Council meeting.