Councillor Robyn Faber has achieved a victory on behalf of highway travellers and members of the local community in need.
More public toilets in Narrabri and Wee Waa will now remain open 24 hours a day.
A review of amenities’ opening hours has regularly been sought by Cr Faber over successive meetings.
At Tuesday’s council meeting she tabled a catalogue of complaints from people who had been inconvenienced when the public conveniences had been shut at their time of need.
“What is the sense of having a public convenience if it is closed?” Cr Faber asked.
There was also a cost to the community in lost tourist traffic when travellers didn’t stop because they were unable to gain access.
Travellers, particularly families, planned trips on the basis of places where they could be assured of a comfort stop.
The spectre of expectant travellers, locked out at Narrabri, being forced to continue on to Gunnedah or Moree was invoked.
Cr Faber’s motion to have the Narrabri toilets at Collins Park and in Tibbereena Street and Dangar Park, Wee Waa, open for 24 hours a day was passed by the council, despite a staff recommendation against, made on the basis that the amenities would be vandalised.
Cameron Park toilets in Narrabri and Ludowici Park toilets in Wee Waa will be open with restricted hours.
All facilities should be open while nearby sporting events were underway, Cr Faber said, to which the council also agreed.
In addition, Cr Faber sought council’s support to have a four car space parking area in Tibbereena Street dedicated to 15 minute parking for visitors.
A comprehensive report to the meeting from staff recommended no change to the current opening hours and noted that ‘the network of facilities is considered adequate’ and that ‘there have been no requests or complaints regarding amenities opening times received by Council over the past two years.’
Not so, said Cr Faber.
“I can produce written evidence,” she said, and reeled off a litany of documented complaints from potential, thwarted, users at several venues dating back to 2011.
Cr Faber had raised the issue at every meeting since March 2011.
Cr Ron Lowder and others echoed her concerns, also referring to the need for Wee Waa facilities to be kept open.
Cr Faber said more user friendly opening times were needed for tourists travelling down the highway and for local sporting events.
Tibbereena Street toilets are closed on weekends and others from 4.30 each day.
Cr Faber said the toilets were designed to minimise the depredations of vandals.
“If we want to fulfil our obligations to our customer focus policy we need to offer services to the community which pays a lot.”
Parking needed to be available, Cr Faber said.
She cited a case in which
a tourist bus had pulled up in Tibbereena street, but drove off
because there were no parking spaces.
The council agreed that the Tibbereena and Dangar Park toilets should be open 24/7.
The matter of the parking spaces will go to the next Traffic Committee meeting for consideration.
“I expect we are relieved now that’s done,” commented Cr Lowder.