Toilet backflip a big relief for Coburg shoppers
Suzanne Robson
17Mar08
Daniela Deluca is pleased she will no longer have to change her daughter in her car, now that Moreland Council is reopening the Coburg library toilets. Picture: ANGIE BASDEKIS
MORELAND Council has bowed to pressure from shoppers and traders and will reopen the Coburg library toilets by the end of the month, after revelations that a lack of loos was forcing residents to abandon the strip.
The backflip comes after a five-week campaign by the Leader, and a barrage of letters from readers, highlighting that a lack of toilets in the central shopping district had forced families and parents with prams to use underground toilets also used by men cruising for sex.
At a public meeting last week, Moreland councillors led a charge to have the library toilets opened immediately. But they backed down when chief executive Peter Brown said library staff would "blackban" the library if the toilets were reopened without anything done to stop tanti-social behavior.
The library toilets have been closed since last September because of repeated vandalism, together with pedophilia and drug use.
The council will spend $20,000 to clean up the library toilets, including removing a wall separating the waiting area.
The council also announced it would work with traders to get new toilets, reopen existing toilets and improve signs on all facilities. Statewide Sewing owner Roger Smith said the result was a victory for traders, who would continue to work with the council to make the underground Coles toilets more accessible. "Traders have successfully lobbied hard to make this happen," Mr Smith said.
Mother-of-three Daniela Deluca, who was forced to change her daughter in the boot of the car because of the lack of appropriate toilets, said she welcomed the news but that she would reserve her judgment until the new toilets were installed.
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