Resident queries lack of toilets

Baw Baw Shire has been questioned about the lack of public toilet facilities at the Trafalgar Railway Station.

Frederick Cunningham asked why council had failed to protest the inadequacy of toilets at the railway station or provided facilities in the town for both hygiene and tourism reasons.

Chief executive officer Alison Leighton said council resolved in December 2013 to discontinue its lease with VicTrack for management of the public toilets at Trafalgar Railway Station.

She said the decision was made largely due to the cost of maintaining the toilets, onerous obligations under the VicTrack lease and location of public toilets 140 metres away in Contingent St.

Ms Leighton said providing and maintaining public toilets at railway stations was the responsibility of VicTrack and V-Line.

She said at the time, council engaged with the state member, VicTrack and V-Line in relation to keeping the toilets at the railway station open.

“Sometime after council stopped leasing the toilets these organisation opted to close them,” she said.

The Baw Baw Arts Alliance lease rooms at the railway station directly from VicTrack through a lease auspiced by the Bendigo Community Bank.

Council has no involvement in the arrangement between the three parties.

Ms Leighton said council was happy to write to the Baw Baw Arts Alliance on behalf of the community, requesting the alliance consider public access in emergencies to the toilets.

“In relation to handwashing facilities at local parks, unless there are public toilets this isn’t something that council currently provides. Council has no current plans to change this level of service,” she said.