Eurobodalla Council has been receiving a relentless "flogging" across social media over the past weeks around the state of the public toilets in the shire. This is not the first time the Council has received such a backlash with many in the community scoring the Council toilets poorly by comparison to our nearby neighbours in Bega and Shoalhaven that are equally dependent on tourism and driven to providing facilities to an expected standard. While Council will advise that it has an annual budget for maintenance and replacements the fact remains that the toilets they have are poorly serviced. Here are just some of the 128 comments to be found last week on the Facebook Moruya Notice Board:
“Broulee surf club as a smell is disgrace, “The last time I went to Caseys Beach toilets all of them clogged and there was no toilet paper and just filthy... went home to use the bathroom then back to the beach,
“I have complained previously about both public toilets at Moruya. Using snap send and solve and ringing council.
"Yes they’re disgusting when you compare to other areas that take pride in there town and keep them clean even providing hand wash more so since Covid.
“Maybe some of our counsellors or the top council workers may need to use them one day
“The toilet blocks in Tuross over near coila beach are the same the smells disgusting
“All I can say is I've used cleaner, better equipped toilets in the back blocks of China
“I have found both sets of public toilets at Broulee, one at North Broulee beach & the other at the Surf Club, in a terrible state lately. Not only very, very dirty, but often no toilet paper. And soap? Soap has never been provided, pandemic or not!
“Why doesn't everybody ring and complain to council. Work department 44741391. Complaining on Facebook won't fix the problems. Response “I’m sure thousands have complained it will take till one of them need to use these toilets for anything to be done; I have rung next to near useless, e-mailed a letter zero response.
“Every Saturday at the markets people comment how disgusting the toilets are. We want visitors to the town but what a welcome they get…putrid toilets and there have been many complaints made. Council don’t care.” The community learnt this week that Council have posted the following Notice: Request for quotation: Eurobodalla Shire public toilet cleaning
Council will soon request quotations for the cleaning of its public toilet facilities.
To be considered, respondents must be registered on Council’s Prequalified Trade Services Scheme (TSS).
To register: procurement@esc.nsw.gov.au
Register by: Friday 18 June 2021, 2pm
Ref: TSQ21-100
Above: Council Noticeboard June 9th 2021
Alison Worthington, Greens candidate in the upcoming Eurobodalla Council elections in September responded to The Beagle editorial of June 11th saying:
"Regarding public toilets around the shire, ESC are currently 'renewing' the Surf Beach toilets. Is this a chance to showcase a fit for purpose public toilet that meets our pandemic-informed expectations of hand sanitising?
"Could the renewed beachside public toilets offer 'touchless' devices for opening and closing cubicle doors, flushing and turning taps on and off? Might we even see bag holder hooks inside the cubicles? We might be experiencing a gap in contract cleaners right now, but concerns around access to safe and clean public toilets in the Eurobodalla will persist until all public toilets are upgraded to modern standards."
