Project Background

The existing public toilet block at the rear of the Fawk Reserve clubrooms has been closed for some time due to its poor condition and ongoing anti-social behaviour however, Council have identified there is a demand for amenities from the users of the reserve, playground, community garden & sports courts.

We are investigating the installation of a single, automated, public toilet facility on the Western side of Fawk Reserve, Athol Park. Proposed location, adjacent the playground and barbecue facilities, is central and accessible to the users of the community garden, carpark and sports facilities via the existing pedestrian paths. Demolition of the existing toilet block and soft landscaping to remediate the area will form part of the scope of works should the project be supported and proceed to construction. The proposed toilet block will incorporate local artwork which will encase the external façade (artwork yet to be determined).

The fully automated facility will provide a safe, hygienic, and welcoming environment for users. Features include pre-programmed locking and unlocking, occupation time limit, vandal resistant fixtures and auto wash system. Automated amenities are one of the best and secure options for public facilities, which have proven successful throughout other prominent locations in the City of Charles Sturt.

Community Engagement

We undertook engagement with the community to understand how they felt about our proposal to install an automated toilet facility in Fawk Reserve, including thoughts on our proposed location for the facility within the reserve. Consultation with the public was open from Wednesday, 27 September 2023 to Wednesday, 18 October 2023.

To see more about the consultation outcomes such as who we heard from and the feedback we received, click through each of the tab headings, below.

Engagement participation was quite low. We received 14 feedback forms in response to the proposal, but only 13 were valid as 1 person submitted the same feedback twice. This was despite receiving 90 visits to the Your Say Charles Sturt project page, which could demonstrate that while there was interest in the project, visitors didn't really mind either way.

The location of respondents was considered alongside their position on the proposal, to better understand who we heard from and the relative potential impact of the proposal on each respondent.

The general sentiment in the open comments from participants who supported the proposed construction of a public toilet facility in Fawk Reserve (54%), was that a toilet was needed for all users of this reserve (playground, sporting, fitness, dog owners, community garden etc).

The predominant theme in the comments from participants who opposed the proposed construction of a public toilet facility in Fawk Reserve (46%) was concern over its impact on long-standing historical and ongoing antisocial behaviours in this reserve and the surrounding areas, and that installation of a new toilet facility would exacerbate (or bring back since the closure of the old clubroom toilet block) several issues.

Next steps

The results of this consultation and a decision report will be presented to Council’s Asset Management Committee on 20 November 2023, Item 4.83.

In this report, staff have recommended to the Committee that the consultation outcomes be noted and considered, and that the location and plans for the proposed new public toilet at Fawk Reserve, as outlined in Appendix 2 of the report, be endorsed subject to future funding approval.

While community feedback was divided and participation in the engagement was not high, it was determined that that a new, secure and automated public toilet is the best type of public facility for this location, that it is unlikely to make existing negative social conditions at the reserve worse (given they are an ongoing, historic issue) and that the demolition of the old public toilet block at the back of the clubrooms, as part of this project, may have a positive impact on report of loitering in that area. The recommendation, above, has considered a review of the site and its history, as well as discussion of the proposal with relevant agencies.

The Committee will review the outcomes of engagement, in addition to other relevant information about the Fawk Reserve Automated Public Toilet Facility proposal, when deciding on the matter. Following endorsement of any decision/s by Council, all consultation contributors, specific communities of interest, Your Say Charles Sturt project followers, and the broader consultation catchment area will be informed of the final decision.

Please note that if the installation of the automated toilet is endorsed for installation by the Asset Mangement Committee and Council, subject to future funding, staff will seek budget approval in the 2024/25 Annual Business Plan and Budget for the construction of the toilet facility in Fawk Reserve.

If funding is approved, the surrounding community will receive advanced works notice before construction commences.