Being on the open road for long periods of time, means that even the most self-contained of travellers become reluctant experts on the state of Australia’s public toilets.
The majority will have experienced everything from pristine modern facilities to cobweb-filled ‘thunder boxes’ in the Outback. But whether the discussion is centring on fully flushable metropolitan loos or composting toilets at rest area and remote campsites, the general consensus is that ‘there is significant room for improvement’.
Happily, social planning researcher, Katherine Webber, who went on a global tour to study how other countries manage public loos has just been in Canberra telling federal policy makers how it should be done.
Crucially, she says Australia’s 19,000 public toilets should be managed by a single government entity instead of the collection of councils, private property owners and developers, that currently do the job.
Ms Webber was awarded the Churchill Fellowship grant back in 2018 and this allowed her to visit Europe, North America and Asia looking at the science behind the provision of good public facilities. In her final report, she said public toilets in Australia were generally built on a site-by-site basis rather than a planned network … and this needed to change.
“I think there is legislative change required around who has that planning and provision responsibility around public toilets,” she said. “Toilets are intersectional in that, yes, they are essential for individual health, but they support access and inclusion.”
Different planning codes currently govern the installation of public toilets in various environments, such as in public transport networks or private shopping centre developments.
Ms Webber said a range of features could also be added to public loos to improve comfort and amenity.
“Hooks on the back of doors for luggage, a shelf if you need to use medication in the toilet,” she said. “There’s all these additions that could be added to if we had better design guidelines for our toilets.”
While grey nomads would no doubt support improvements to the toilets we do have, some veteran travellers – like Royce White – said there was a more fundamental problem. “We need more public toilets,” he said. “Particularly along tourist areas like the great Ocean Road, so tourists in vehicles with no toilets can relieve themselves without spoiling the environment.”
The worst thing about public toilets is the disgusting habits of many users – not to mention vandalism – I would support heavy fines of any person defacing or stealing from public toilets and rest stops.
Unfortunately yes.
There are some down right filthy disgusting people that ruin
Public toilets for fun
If there was more toilets those morons would probably give up. More toilets would mean wrecking them would become a chore as there are too many to vandalise
Oh my God, A Churchill Fellowship Grant to tour the world researching “dunnies”. Give me a break, any half way intelligent person could research from within Oz and come up with a suitable recommendation to suit Australian conditions. But good on her, a freeby around the world. Money well spent, not.
Ray raises a very pertinent point here.
As we all know, there are plenty of areas for improvement in Australia so, these funds are generally used wisely.
Without doubt, this particular grant was allocated to a frivolous and unnecessary junket.
But, at least we can take comfort in the knowledge that that 2 people (grant admin and researcher) currently have a keen interest in our diverse stable of public shitters and are taking action. If as alluded to in the article, a new federally funded “Department of Public Shitters” is established, we will benefit through billions of our tax dollars being redistributed from Education, Health, Housing, Defence and other places and spent on beautiful new shitters all over the place at some stage in the future.
I remember using a toilet on a slight rise at Betoota. OMG it was beyond disgusting and it was in the middle of nowhere. I can still see and smell it.
I am very concerned that this could mean that many public toilets, particularly in remote areas, would be closed. Sure it is great to have a toilet with lots of facilities, hooks etc. but a very basic toilet, even with cobwebs is better than no toilet at all. I do sometimes prefer to dig a hole rather than use a dirty toilet but in general prefer one I don’t have to dig myself.
How about setting up a grant to help pay for the insurance for the country hotels so they can reopen then we can buy a cold beer and use their toilets
One place that needs good toilets is on the Nullabor. The worst toilets I have ever seen in my life are out there. They need to be pit toilets, but the pits need to be 50ft deep, and 20ft around, because they fill up too quick. They should be auto burn versions, so when they fill, they self empty. The 2 guys that clean them are not enough workers for the job.
I have been to many.. some good and some bad, disgusting ones see we head bush ( naturally in remote areas) with the spade. I don’t know that anyone can stop disgusting pigs who use the facilities or vandalise them. No easy answer but I can’t imagine having a minister for public loo’s in Gov!!!!!
Why not, they are well qualified ie. “full of it”
Well Jean, most politicians would be well qualified for the job because they all talk a lot of …
We need soap in all loos