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A quick response by residents at Whangateau may lead Auckland Council to re-think the proposed closure of two toilets at the historic Big Omaha Wharf.
The toilets were boarded up earlier this year due to health and safety concerns based on the deteriorating state of the small building, which sits out over the water.
Council went on to propose that the toilets be removed altogether and visitors be directed to use the facilities at the Whangateau Domain, a short drive away.
A meeting was held on site with community facilities officer Helen Biffin on May 4 so residents could express their views. Representatives of several local groups attended, as well as individual property owners.
Ms Biffin confirmed that the existing toilets were well-contained and did not pose an environmental threat, but the cost of repairing the structure was the issue.
However, residents emphasised that without a toilet on site, the roadside and harbour estuary would become the receptacles for human waste. They said the wharf had a whole range of uses, from family gatherings to weddings. The boat ramp was a popular launching spot, people spent hours fishing off the structure, both day and night, and the wharf was a destination in its own right.
“We absolutely must have a toilet on site because few people will make the trip to the toilets in the domain,” they said.
Ms Biffin said she would share residents’ concerns with the Rodney Local Board and would investigate installing a portaloo as an interim measure. She also agreed to look at reinstalling a rubbish bin at the site.
