Relief on way for walkway users

Toilets are planned for the Hatea Loop walkway.

Walkers caught short while on the Hatea Loop Walkway in Whangarei will have to cross their legs no longer, with $440,000 to be spent on toilet upgrades including a new block at Pohe Island.

A new toilet block between the old weigh station and Riverside Drive, opposite the dog-agility park, is one of three projects scheduled to finish next month.

The others are a new block at Tikipunga Sports Park and refurbishment of two toilet blocks at the Town Basin.

Whangarei District Council field officer - dubbed the "loo-tenant" by his workmates - Grant Alsop said the toilets at Pohe Island were being constructed with an eye to the future.

He said it was amazing the numbers of people using the Loop walkway and there had already been the addition of water fountains in the area.

As well, a carpark and rugby fields were in the mix for the future, he said, making the investment in new toilet facilities essential.

The Pohe Island block would have the same design as the toilets at Mander Park, with a twin cubicle for disabled users. The $140,000 project is due for completion in late May to early June, and includes connecting the water services and some roading work, as well as construction of the block itself.

The Tikipunga Sports Park toilets were being shifted from their undesirable location behind the clubrooms to a new facility built in front, with a budget of $150,000.

"Currently it's not in a nice, safe place where people feel comfortable going, it's a bit dark," Mr Alsop said.

The new block would have three standard cubicles and one larger cubicle for disabled users.

The old toilets would be stripped and partitions put in, and the council would gift it to the sports club to store equipment such as mini-football goals.

Mr Alsop said a mural would be painted on the toilets depicting the various sports that took place at the Tikipunga ground.

He said creating works of art on areas such as toilet blocks tended to lessen the amount of graffiti and damage.

The Tikipunga work was scheduled for completion by May 15.

There would also be a $150,000 refurbishment of toilet blocks at the Town Basin.

Contractors Arco Group have begun on the toilets behind Burning Issues art gallery, and also at the Town Basin playground toilets near Stanley Marine.