With Australia’s grey nomads on the move in huge numbers, the spotlight is falling on the facilities that are available to them … particularly in the more remote areas.
Obviously, having a selection of places to camp is top of the list, but toilets – or perhaps lack of toilets – is another area of concern. Some travellers have claimed that a lack of amenities at rest areas is particularly noticeable in South Australia, where they say toilet paper can often be seen blowing around.
However, the state’s director of planning, transport and infrastructure Paul Gelston rejected suggestions there were too few toilets at rest areas, and denied there was any health hazard.
Interestingly, Mr Gelston said that a lack of toilets at some roadside rest stops was also part of a deliberate strategy to encourage travellers to stop in the regional towns.
“We’d always like to put more facilities and more rest stops to encourage people to stop and drive safely,” he told the ABC. “But we have to balance that too with not taking trade away from local towns, local shops and local facilities.”
He told the ABC that, since 2007 in South Australia, there had been 39 new toilets and 37 toilet upgrades for rest areas on major arterial roads, including Dukes Highway, Port Augusta Road, Port Wakefield Road, the Stuart Highway and the South Eastern Freeway.
However, he says the cost of building and maintaining facilities, the cost of water and fixing vandalism were considerable. One at remote Bon Bon has an annual cleaning bill of more than $17,000 and another public loo at Ranges View cost $11,000 annually.
Mr Gelston said funding for toilets had to be balanced against other priorities such as road maintenance works and building new roads.
“Remember that in South Australia we’ve got a long way between many of our towns,” he said. “We are not fortunate perhaps to have as many towns located as there might be in Queensland and elsewhere.”
Mr Gelston urged travellers do their bit to protect the toilets which were on offer.
“That’s the point really, asking everyone to treat the facilities that are out there with respect. We’d save so much money if we didn’t have to worry about vandalism, for example,” he said.
Which is the worst state in Australia for facilities? Do you think not offering facilities at some rest areas as a way of driving travellers into towns is a flawed strategy. Comment below.
Remember that old saying “spend a penny”? It was user pays back then. If you didn’t have a spare penny, you were in big trouble. I agree with Mr Gelston’s suggestion that travellers “do their bit” to protect existing toilets, but I question the strategy of not offering those facilities in some places to encourage travellers to head for town. That’s blackmail. Thank heaven for porta pottis.
“Competitive Neutrality” gone to extremes when they don’t provide toilets outside town because of “taking trade away” — toilet trade??? If we want to stop in a town we will, NOT because some boffins decree toilets are only availabe in towns! CP’s play the competitive neutrality card over Rest Area parking, but now town businesses are calling the same hand? Over toilets? What next will someone think up?
If we were “allowed” to “rest” overnight in Rest Areas (with toilets/infrastructure), the less chance of vandalism – or are grey nomads thought to get out the axe and cause the damage? Some schools in Qld/NSW are allowing MH’s in the grounds at Holiday times and it has been found to thwart the vandalism – but profits are more important than preventative measures!
Thank goodness more self-contained rigs are on the road and we don’t have to worry about where to stop for toileting duties.
Back to a quiet life!
The South Australian and Federal Governments should be absolutely ashamed of themselves with regard to toilets (lack of) and facilities on the Eyre Hwy.This major Hwy catering to All and sundry Interntional, Interstate & Local tourists, Truckies ,Business travellers etc. Sure providing, servicing,cleaning and maintaining basic facilities on this busy Hwy would be expensive.
Why should a traveller have to hide behind a car for at the very least a pee. (There are not a lot of towns)Forget taking a shovel to dig a hole one would need a Jack hammer.
The Federal Governments Fuel excise from Ceduna to Border Town alone would be massive. The SA Governments GST share of that would be pretty sizeable as well.
Mike.