By BRIDGET COOK
THE City of Casey will relocate a public toilet in Selandra Rise estate after residents continued to kick up a stink over its location.
Casey councillors went against the officer’s recommendation at last week’s council meeting and resolved to move the problem toilet at a cost of $61,000.
Home owners along Selandra Boulevard were angered to see a public toilet being built in Heritage Park, opposite their home, in March after more than eight months of fighting to have the location changed.
More than 20 people signed a petition in April calling for the council to relocate the toilet to a more central location in the park and away from homes – something the council agreed to investigate.
A report came back to the meeting last week and council officers recommended that the toilet remain in its current location and that additional screen planting be undertaken around it to the value of $2000.
Instead Mayor Geoff Ablett lead a push to have the toilet relocated.
“We had some savings, we can afford to move it but what I want to do is consult with people,” he said.
“This has constant stress, anxiety and angst for people who have paid for an expensive block opposite the toilet.”
Resident Ann Sergides said she was thrilled to hear the toilet would be moved.
“I’m impressed with the mayor taking into account how we felt, how much this upset us and that we were misled over the location of the toilet,” she said.
“We were ready to pack up and move because of this whole situation, so now we feel a lot better that our concerns have been addressed.”
Ms Sergides said residents were not aware of the toilet location when they purchased the land.
“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,” she said.
Ms Sergides said all residents wanted was the toilet to be in the centre of the park and the door facing the playground, rather than their front doors.
“When I walk out my front door, I look directly at the toilet,” she said.
“Other neighbours can see it straight from their ensuite window.”
