Public toilets need a wee bit of investment, councillors say

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Number-one impressions count, but Murray Bridge’s public toilets are in a “shameful” state, councillors say.

Councillor Airlie Keen was the first to raise the issue at a council meeting on Tuesday night, based on her experiences at Sturt Reserve during last year’s Christmas festival and at Long Island Reserve on any busy summer’s day.

In one case, there had been no toilet paper left by 7am.

Could the city’s public toilets be cleaned, maintained and serviced more often, she asked?

“These amenities are a really important reflection of our community,” she said.

“This is not to be critical of our team … but I just really wish we could have some uplift.”

Several other councillors also pooh-poohed the local amenities.

The toilets at Diamond Park had been “a disgrace” on Australia Day, Tom Haig said; Andrew Baltensperger agreed that they had been “really bad”.

Fred Toogood said the ones at the visitor information centre had been “in a shameful state” on Saturday.

In response, councillors were told that contractors and staff each played a role in maintaining and monitoring Murray Bridge’s public toilets.

They received extra attention before and during major events.

Still, the toilet cleaning contract could be modified to include more frequent checks, staff suggested – so long as the council was willing to pay extra.

What about at Johnstone Park and Sturt Reserve?

Cr Keen also inquired about two facilities which needed replacing:

• number one: those at Johnstone Park, which were demolished to make way for a new netball court
• number two: those at Sturt Reserve which would soon sit next to a new play space

The council would consider replacing the Johnstone Park toilets in the 2026-27 financial year, staff suggested, subject to budget considerations.

An exact location for a new toilet block was yet to be determined, and no designs had yet been drawn up, but a new facility was likely to be similar to those the council had installed elsewhere in recent years.

There was currently no plan to replace the toilet block near the Sturt Reserve playground, staff reported, as the existing facility was only halfway through its current life.

Replacing it would cost up to $700,000.

That cost had not been included in a funding application to the federal government, which promised $4.85 million for a new riverfront nature play space ahead of last year’s election.

However, the toilets could do with about $5000 worth of maintenance, which would be considered in 2026-27.

Community is flush with amenities these days

The Murray Bridge council adopted a public toilet strategy a decade ago after pressure from residents, including a 474-signature petition calling for one to be built on Adelaide Road.

It resolved at the time to spend $240,000 per year, for 10 years, upgrading old loos and building new ones.

Many of those labelled as high priority back then have since been replaced or refurbished, including the toilets at Adelaide Road Linear Park, the Adelaide Road Cemetery, Baden Powell Hall, Christian Reserve, Le Messurier Oval, Long Island Reserve, Murray Bridge Rowing Club, the Round House and Wellington Courthouse.

But a few of those labelled as a medium or high priority are still busting for an upgrade.

• More information: www.murraybridge.sa.gov.au.