More clean, safe, and accessible public toilets in Bayside’s pipeline
The finalised Public Toilet Strategy 2024-2028 was endorsed by Council on Tuesday 21 May 2024.
The Strategy has been developed following consultation with our community on how we can approach the management and improvement of public toilets in Bayside.
We sought feedback on the four-year plan to make sure we included the issues that are important to the community for our public toilet network and investigate a new location for a Changing Places facility.
Between 26 February and 2 April 2024, we received close to 600 submissions on the Strategy via Have Your Say and written correspondence.
We also had input from key stakeholders including Bayside’s Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DAIAC) and the Bayside Healthy Aging Reference Group (BHARG).
What we heard
We primarily sought feedback on our vision for the Strategy, to make public toilets more accessible, inclusive, and safer. We received a high level of support from the community on this vision with over 64% of all respondents strongly agreeing with 6 out of 7 objectives.
Changing Places
Based on community feedback and input from Bayside’s Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DAIAC) the Strategy has been amended to reduce the buffer from 2km to 1.5km for Changing Place criteria (32% of survey participants strongly support the change, 36% somewhat support).
We also heard that Ricketts Point is the preferred location for a new Changing Place (131 support this location, 31 respondents preferring neither and 217 unsure).
Council will now undertake feasibility of a Changing Place at this location and seek to transfer an existing Changing Place grant from Half Moon Bay to Ricketts Point.
Gender neutral toilets
There was mixed support for gender neutral signage on public toilets with only 41% supporting this proposal (26% strongly, 15% somewhat).
Elsternwick Park's new toilet
The feedback we received demonstrated that there is strong community support for a new toilet in Elsternwick Park South however, the proposed location would be better suited closer to Oval 4 for sports and recreation users to utilise, as well as providing an increased buffer from residential properties. More information on the engagement results and next steps for the public toilet is available on Have Your Say.
Toilet upgrades
As part of the Strategy, the following public toilet facilities were identified for replacement over the next four years:
• Brighton Beach foreshore, Brighton.
• Balcombe Road carpark, Black Rock.
• Beaumaris Concourse, Beaumaris.
• Ricketts Point, Beaumaris (including a Changing Place subject to feasibility).
The program of capital works was well received with 68% strongly supporting and 20% somewhat supporting the program.
