Dunedin city council staff will investigate the options for placing a 24-hour toilet in the Octagon, including where it should go and how much it would cost.
The resolution updated an earlier recommendation by councillors to develop stand-alone 24-hour toilets, funded half by rates and half by a targeted rate on hospitality businesses, and to close the Municipal Lane toilets.
Councillors were considering whether to include funding for 24-hour toilets in the council's 2013-14 budget, following complaints, particularly some passionate pleas from St Paul's Cathedral, that people have been using Octagon properties as toilets at night.
Yesterday's decision saw the money left out of the budget for the time being.
Staff were asked also to make recommendations on making the Municipal Lane toilets a "spend a penny" user-pays operation, putting those funds towards the cost of 24-hour toilets.
Recommendations were also sought on setting up portable toilets in the Octagon as soon as possible until 24-hour toilets were installed, and setting up a working party to evaluate the practicalities of introducing a targeted rate for food and beverage premises within the central city.
They are to report back to councillors in September.
