Pressure brings public toilet relief to Featherston

People itching to use the loo while out and about in Featherston will no longer have to drive 10 to 15 minutes out of town.

By Emily Ireland of Local Democracy Reporting

South Wairarapa District Council has installed four temporary toilets and an accessible toilet by the Joy Cowley Children's Playground while the public toilets undergo an upgrade.

When closing the public toilets earlier this week, the council suggested people could relieve themselves in Greytown or Martinborough until they reopened in late December – but backlash forced a change of plans and the portaloos were greenlit.

A council statement said the temporary toilets would be serviced and maintained regularly throughout the upgrade period.

"While we'll do our best to keep them clean, stocked and operating well, temporary facilities can sometimes present additional challenges, including vandalism and cleanliness issues," the council said.

"The units will be securely installed, however, many locals will know that this area can become quite windy during spring.

"While precautions are being taken, weather conditions may occasionally affect the facilities."

The council said the work ahead would deliver improved public toilets for residents and visitors.

"We're grateful for the community's understanding as we work through the temporary disruption."

Upgrades to the town's public toilets aimed to improve the facility’s condition, safety, accessibility and long-term reliability, while retaining their external structure, which was designed to resemble a rail coach.

The council’s annual plan showed $308,000 had been allocated to the project.

The toilet block was built about 16 years ago after the old ones were the target of sustained attacks by vandals who repeatedly smashed fittings, caused floods, and deliberately blocked toilets with wads of paper.

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Prior to that, the Featherston toilet block featured in newspapers worldwide, including the New York Times, when the Disney Corporation took the council to task over having Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and other Disney characters painted on the toilets exterior walls without permission.

-LDR is local body journalism funded by RNZ and NZ on Air