Dump unisex toilets

Jane Emerick
Residents are up in arms over plans for a unisex toilet block on Torquay’s front beach foreshore.
Great Ocean Road Coast Committee has submitted to Surf Coast Shire plans to build the toilet block, standing 2.7 metres high, 5.8 wide and about 10 long, at a cost of $180,000.
Torquay Ratepayers Association’s Lyn Smith said the organisation would lodge a submission against the toilet block proposal.
She said unisex facilities were a safety threat.
“There are a lot of small children at that beach and we just feel unisex toilets are inappropriate,” Mrs Smith said.
“With what happened at Torquay Caravan Park and at the Australian Open in the toilets, it would just be simpler to have men’s and women’s toilets.
“Mums like to bring their children with them into the toilet to keep an eye on them.
“There’s also the question of cleanliness when both sexes use the same toilet.”
Community group member Spencer Leighton was concerned about the visual impact of the toilet block. He also opposed plans for a bike and walking path through the front beach reserve in conjunction with the toilet project.
“The position of the toilet block means people driving down The Esplanade are going to see this long thing stretching along the foreshore,” he said.
“They decided to replace the old one, fair enough, but they’re moving closer to The Esplanade to make room for a bike trail that will cut down the middle of the foreshore lawn.
“Imagine: you have all these tourists on the lawn with people flying by on their bicycles, well that’s not safe. It’s ridiculous to split the lawn in half.”
Mr Leighton said the committee should dig the toilet block into part of the foreshore further along the beach “so it doesn’t stick out”.
He also wanted the path to run along The Esplanade instead.
Coast committee executive officer David Clarke said residents still had time to have their say on the project.
“Rather than saying they are specifically male and female, they’re all just toilets,” he said.