Baldwin St toilet a long wait

The Dunedin City Council has promised to make a formal request to the Otago Regional Council for land near Baldwin St on which to build a long-awaited public toilet.

The promise comes after more than three years of calls from local businesses and residents frustrated by constant requests from cruise ship passengers, tourists and visitors to use their toilets, a norovirus scare and plans for toilets that have never come to fruition.

Yesterday, local businesses and a church by the world's steepest street, which is an increasingly popular destination, voiced their ongoing frustration about the problem.

The issue has again come into focus after a promise by council city property manager Kevin Taylor last month to have temporary toilets in by Labour Weekend, which did not happen.

Nick Van Der Jagt, co-owner of Grid Coffee, a cafe and roastery in North Rd, said at least 12 people had been to her business yesterday by noon to use the toilet, something she did not mind, so long as they asked.

She urged council staff to go down to the area and see for themselves what it was like.

At the Northeast Valley Baptist Church, where a child-care facility was in place yesterday, programme co-ordinator Amy Souquet said people would walk into the the church, without knocking or asking, to use the toilet.

''We have to lock the doors now,'' Mrs Souquet said.

There were people who attended with new babies, leading to concerns about illnesses being passed on.

In the nearby Quarry Store, Jimil Patel said he also had to regularly deal with requests for toilets, but said he did not allow his own facility to be used.

Asked about the ongoing problem and delays in finding a solution, Mr Taylor said: ''You've got to have somewhere to put a toilet, don't you?

''Getting somewhere to put a toilet is the fundamental issue.''

The council did not own land on Baldwin St or in the immediate vicinity.

There was the possibility of land by the Lindsay Creek near the bottom of Baldwin St owned by the Otago Regional Council being used. Legislation meant a process needed to be gone through before a toilet could be built there.

The council would need to formalise its request for use of the land, but there had been no progress.

That was despite the idea of using the ORC land being around since at least last year.

Asked why, Mr Taylor said he was unable to say.

But there was still money in the council budget for the toilets, and there was a prefabricated ''Portland loo''', built in Dunedin and ready to go for Baldwin St.

Mr Taylor there was ''probably not'' anything standing in the way of the formal process of negotiating with the ORC for the land, and that was something he intended his staff to do next week.

''We will initiate the formal request to the ORC next week.''

david.loughrey@odt.co.nz