Locals in Gwynneville have expressed surprise and disappointment over plans by Wollongong City Council to demolish a "well-used" public toilet block in Robinson Park in the heart of the suburb. They've also praised the Lord Mayor and Ward Two councillors who met locals on site yesterday to hear their concerns.

Notification of Council's plans first came in the form of a letter to homes, dated 27 February, which said Council received a petition with signatures from more than 100 local residents "requesting it be removed due to its poor condition and the fact it attracted antisocial behaviour". Council's letter said the toilet was built decades ago "when the park was used as a sports field, however, no formal team sports have been played on the park since the early 1980s".

That correspondence sparked a backlash from locals living close to the park who say Council's decision was taken with no proper consultation.

Surprised and disappointed

Attending the latest meeting of the Neighbourhood Forum 5 community group, long-term local Dale Catto said she was "surprised and disappointed" by the lack of consultation from Council.

"I wasn't consulted and I know many others who knew nothing about this until they received Council's letter," Dale said.

"I've lived here since 1987, and the toilets were here at the time. They're still well used, and I don't see the point removing them. It's important that we have access to more public toilets; it's what Wollongong lacks."

Dale said the Robinson Park toilets were included on the National Public Toilet Map as part of the National Continence Program.

Kim Johnson, who has joined the campaign, said she stumbled on contractors inspecting the brick toilet block late last month and asked what was happening. "That's the first that I knew of it. I certainly wasn't consulted by Council."

Toilets needed more than ever

Dale and Kim believe the Robinson Park toilet block is needed now more than ever as the character of Gwynneville changes with more young families coming into the area and plans to allow medium and high-density housing nearby in the future.

Emma Finucane moved to Gwynneville 12 months ago and has two toddlers. "We use the park a lot, walking the dogs and using the playground. It's a great little spot and it would be a shame to lose them."

Emma Kefford said taking away the toilets "doesn't make sense to me". She questioned why the toilets were being blamed for anti-social behaviour. "I think public toilets are like a general good... they're always a good thing for the community."

Their neighbour, Stan Jakimowicz, has lived in Gwynneville for more than 60 years and walks his dogs in the park twice daily. "It seems ridiculous to pull them down," he said.

More than 200 supporting 'save the toilets' campaign

Local resident Lex Dickson has produced a flyer titled 'Save Robinson Park Toilets' and he kicked off a letter-writing campaign to Council which already has well over 200 contributors in less than a fortnight.

The flyer lists a range of people and groups who are regular users of the park and the toilets. These include people walking dogs, families using the recently upgraded playground, soccer players who visit most weekends, university students and attendees at the nearby Omar Mosque.

Lex's flyer says: "We've got a great new cycleway – why are we removing infrastructure from it? Council should be creating more public toilets, more services for the community, not removing them."

Seeking proper consultation

The flyer calls on Council to cancel the demolition and to properly consult with locals with the aim of enhancing the park's facilities to meet the community's needs.

"Bins should be provided for rubbish, lighting should be installed along the bike path to address any safety concerns at night. The grass should be maintained more frequently; it is often overgrown, and dog poo bags should be provided."

Very positive meeting with Council

Yesterday, Lord Mayor Cr Tania Brown was joined by Cr Kit Docker and Cr Andrew Anthony to hear of the concerns from locals first hand.

"We had a very positive meeting, and the Lord Mayor and councillors listened to our views, including a representative of the nearby Omar Mosque whose members regularly use the toilets," Kim said. 

"We also spoke about the government's plans to increase the density of the area in future and everyone agreed that we do need to be forward thinking. We're pleased after hearing from us Council will review its decision and we couldn't ask for more than that."

NF5 Convenor Jane Robertson attended yesterday's meeting and thanked the Lord Mayor, councillors and Council staff for agreeing to an NF5 request to meet on-site to discuss the imminent demolition of the toilets.

"It is understood that Council will consider the new community perspectives that came to light, will review the situation, and get back to residents in the area," Jane said.

"NF5 looks forward to hearing about their future deliberations and hope to assist with the solutions."