By BRIDGET COOK
THE City of Casey will investigate moving a public toilet after residents who objected to its location felt their concerns were flushed.
Home owners along Selandra Boulevard were angered to see a public toilet being built in a park opposite their homes on Friday 21 March, after more than eight months of fighting to have the location changed.
The council has now agreed to investigate relocating the toilet to a more central location in Heritage Park, after more than 20 people signed a petition against its current location.
Head petitioner Ann, who did not want her last name used, said a group of local home owners raised their concerns about the toilet’s proposed location early last year and felt they had now been ignored.
“When we purchased this land we were told there would be a low-key park opposite our homes,” she said.
“It wasn’t until after we started building that plans became available for the park and we saw that there was a toilet right opposite us.”
Ann said since then they had been going back and forth with the council and estate developers, Stockland, to have the location of the toilet moved to a more central location in the park and for the entrance to face the playground not their homes.
“We thought they had taken it all on board,” she said.
“We told them that if they do need a toilet at the park, then put it in the middle where it would not upset or affect anyone.
“We were left in the dark though since our last consultation in September, so we were shocked to see it being built where we did not want it recently.”
Ann said when she walks out her front door she looks directly at the toilet, with the entrance facing her home.
“Other neighbours can see it straight from their ensuite window,” she said.
Ann said she was pleased to hear the council would be looking into moving it, and felt it was both Casey and Stockland’s responsibility to do something about it.
City of Casey mayor Geoff Ablett moved the motion on Tuesday night for the council to look into the cost and community response to relocating the toilet.
He said that once the cost for the relocation was known, the council would consider the works to be included in the budget for 2014-’15.
“This is causing anxiety for local residents,” he said.
“It’s something we need to consider and see what it would take to move one of these things.”
A Stockland spokesperson said based on a small number of residents who opposed the proposed location of toilet, Stockland revised the location for this public amenity and did move it.
“These new plans were submitted to council and endorsed by council,” the spokesperson said.
“The inclusion of a public toilet at Heritage Park was at the request of residents, following community consultation.”
The spokesperson said they carefully considered requests for the relocation of the toilet to the middle of the park.
“However, this would require the revision of the location and configuration of the play areas, potentially requiring them to be moved closer to the road,” the spokesperson said.
“This is not considered a desirable outcome as Selandra Boulevard is the major thoroughfare through the project.
“Moving the toilet towards the middle of the park would also reduce the relative safety of locating the toilet in a well-lit, non-isolated area.
“With no lighting in the park combined with the distance from the street lighting, the proposed location in the middle of the park could invite loitering and potentially create a blind spot for people at night.
“The alternative location towards the middle of the park would, we believe, encourage potentially anti-social behaviour that most residents would be keen to avoid.”
