North Shore Times (New Zealand)
‘Abysmal’ loos revolt North Shore residents
‘‘Vomit-worthy’’, ‘‘filthy’’ and ‘‘abysmal’’ are some of the words residents are using to describe North Shore public toilets.
Terry Bourne from Narrow Neck said recently he had the ‘‘displeasure’’ of using both the Belmont and Hauraki Corner public toilets.
‘‘They are both abysmal and haven’t been updated in at least 20 years,’’ Bourne said. ‘‘They both need knocking down and replacing. Or just knocking them down would be a significant improvement on its own.’’
Just down the road, the toilet block alongside Takapuna Beach was described as ‘‘vomitworthy’’ earlier this year.
Devonport-Takapuna Local Board member George Wood said public toilets in that area have been let go for a number of years, but the local board is working to bring them back up to standard. Several toilet blocks in Takapuna, including in the Anzac Street car park, as well as Castor Bay, are in line for an overdue upgrade, according to Wood. Under the new Auckland Council maintenance contracts, which began this month, Wood said the frequency of toilet cleaning should increase during busy times.
Mum and North Shore Plunket Toy Library president Katrin Hahn said, when out with young kids, having a public toilet nearby that is clean and has soap available is important.
‘‘As a parent it is not possible to plan kids’ toilet times. A nappy has to be changed when needed and a young child might not have the control to wait for long time. Sometimes it is a matter of one minute or less and no one wants to change a nappy in public or use bushes,’’ Hahn said.
The public toilets next to the toy library’s Mairangi Bay location are well-frequented, but Hahn says the larger disability toilet is filthy.
‘‘I have never seen any soap in the dispenser in the family/ disability toilet and this room is often so filthy that I am not using it anymore. On one afternoon in late summer I found medication, used condoms and used nappies on the floor.’’
Hahn thinks the toilets should be checked more often. ‘‘But I think that a main part is public behaviour in regard to public property. Instead of seeing the council as cleaning service, users need to be educated to leave them as they would like to find them.’’