Sign In / Register
Point Wells Recreation Reserve could finally get permanent public toilets, with a $450,000 project expected to get underway early next year.
The Rodney Local Board was asked at its September 16 meeting to approve the preferred location and concept design for a two-cubicle toilet block at the reserve on Point Wells Road.
The preferred site is north of the playground, beside the community hall. Following detailed design, consenting and procurement, construction is expected to start in the first quarter of next year.
The reserve has a children’s playground, basketball and tennis courts, croquet facilities, picnic areas and open space, but no permanent public toilets.
The nearest facilities are about 500 metres away at the Point Wells boat ramp – a distance council staff say is less suitable for families with young children, older people and those with limited mobility.
Use of the reserve has increased following the playground upgrade, extension of the cycleway and continued residential growth at Point Wells.
Community demand for toilets was also evident during consultation on the 2025 Point Wells Open Space Study, when 29 of 78 submissions called for permanent facilities. The Point Wells Community and Ratepayers Association supports both the project and preferred location.
Last summer, the community funded two portable toilets over the Christmas holiday period, reducing this to one until Easter. However, council staff say portable toilets do not provide the accessibility, hygiene, lighting, ventilation or long-term functionality of a permanent facility.
The local board has allocated $450,000 to the project through its 2026-2029 Community Work Programme, including $100,000 from the regional Local Parks and Sportsfield Development Programme.
Options investigated included opening the community hall toilets to the public and building a standalone facility in one of two locations.
Although there are toilets in the hall, this option was ruled out because of privacy and security concerns, restricted access outside hall hours and maintenance issues.
The preferred location allows the new toilets to connect to existing council services at the community hall and library, while avoiding the protected root zone of the reserve’s notable golden macrocarpa tree.
