Having opened the door to debate over the issue of public toilet facilities, the Dunedin City Council must now decide how it is going to spend its pennies.
Dunedin residents have had their say on three maintenance or development options outlined in the draft public toilet service review report.
The three options under consideration are:
Option 1: Increase the current service standard, renewing many existing facilities; developing additional toilets; refurbishing all public toilets to a more consistent "fit-out" standard and upgrading and including some parks and reserves facilities into the primary public toilet service.
No additional community plan funding would be required for this option.
Total cost $5.8 million; capital renewal $2.15 million; capital development of $1.36 million.
Option 2: Increase the current service standard through the renewal and refurbishment of all existing facilities only.
Total cost: $5.5 million; capital renewal $2.15 million.
Option 3: Option 1 plus the development of new facilities in addition to those already identified under Option 1.
Costs to include $20,000 to $30,000 capital maintenance for each additional new facility and $50,000 to $120,000 one off capital development for each facility.
The report reviewed the facilities around the city and outlined the options for services over the next 10 years.
The scope of the review was decided in 2007, and the council has since sought input from councillors, community board representatives and interested community groups.
When public consultation ended on June 20, five community boards and 24 members of the public had made submissions on the review.
Submitters mostly supported the council's favoured option 1, and identified the need for seven new facilities as a priority.
Many said the council needed to improve service levels, which would benefit Dunedin residents and improve the impression visitors to the area gained, policy analyst team leader Mike Roesler said.
Groups representing the disabled said adult changing and showering facilities were inadequate in central Dunedin.
Members of the public also argued the council should put pressure on commercial retailers to provide adequate toilet facilities - a move which Mr Roesler said would require changes to the district plan.
A working party, made up of council staff and city councillors met on Monday to discuss the review.
They will present recommendations to the council's infrastructure services committee in September.
Infrastructure services will accept or modify recommendations and changes could be implemented immediately, or in the 2009-10 community plan if extra funding is required.
"Discussion with public focus groups has also shown we need to think hard about the design of new facilities to take better account for [the] needs of [the] disabled," the report said.
"It said the standard of most facilities was satisfactory, with the "possible exception of Mornington and Portobello".
It also noted the public perception of cleanliness was often poor, especially for older Exeloo facilities.
Most toilets are cleaned by contractors between one and four times a day, depending on use.
Most facilities, except for the railway station and Municipal Lane facilities, are open 24 hours-a-day.
Under the preferred option 1 upgrade, extra toilets were proposed at De Carle and Navy Parks (South Dunedin), Brooklands Park (Mosgiel), North Dunedin, Kaikorai Valley and Northeast Valley.
Older Exeloos, such as the Frederick St facilities, could be replaced.
The Gardens Exeloo (North Dunedin), Hillside Rd, Outram standard toilet, St Clair Esplanade, and St Clair Exeloos were identified as problem spots for graffiti and vandalism.
Installing stainless steel fittings, CCTV, and increasing "visibility" and locking more toilets at night were all suggested as options to reduce vandalism.
City property maintenance manager Grant Baskett said about 60% of the department's expenditure on 26 toilets (about $15,000) was on repairs following vandalism.
A further $5000 was spent on removing graffiti.
A recurring theme from (community board) consultation was the need for adequate facilities to cope with the peak tourist numbers between October and April.
Future toilet developments would have to take broader council initiatives, such as the harbourside redevelopment, into account.
The council estimates it will spend about $5.8 million on toilet maintenance and general repairs of all facilities over the next 10 years.
Funding will be outlined in the 2009-10 community plan and "rough order" financial modelling indicates work could be completed using funds already allocated in the council community plan, Mr Roesler said.
The council's property unit is responsible for the operation and management of 26 public toilets in the Dunedin city area, which include 17 Exeloos and eight older-style facilities.
The council and recreation services are responsible for a further 37 facilities.
The total equates to provision of 0.54 toilets per 1000 residents, a level of service similar to Hamilton, Christchurch and Waitakere.
The range for New Zealand is 0.9 to 0.49 per 1000 residents.
In Dunedin, 70% of public toilets are accessible to the disabled, compared with 21% nationally.
