Jennifer Pittorino
Hobsons Bay mayor Tony Briffa has refuted claims the council is proposing to convert all public toilets to become gender neutral.
The council sought community feedback on its public toilet strategy, which was adopted by the council at last week’s council meeting.
As part of the feedback, a petition was submitted to councillors.
In the petition, which has been seen by Star Weekly, petitioners propose council keep the option of women’s, men’s and gender neutral toilets open.
It claims the council is proposing to change all public toilets to gender neutral.
Cr Briffa said the petition is inaccurate and confusing to residents.
“Council is not proposing to convert all public toilets to become gender neutral, the public toilet strategy isn’t about gender neutral toilets, it’s about where to provide public toilets,” she said.
In its meeting on May 9, the council adopted the new toilet strategy with updated terms responding to feedback from the public exhibition period.
The 10-year plan of public toilet upgrades is designed to issue replacements, new toilets and ensure facilities are fit for purpose, safe and clean while being safe and inclusive.
The updated strategy includes conducting a review of all existing public toilets.
Much of the feedback council received related to perceived safety issues of having males and females mingling in the same toilet facility.
Council said this recommendation was intended to review single cubicle unisex facilities commonly found within public settings and not facilities marked as male or female only.
Cr Daria Kellander voted against the motion citing feedback she had heard from residents who were concerned about gender neutral toilets.
Council infrastructure and city services director Sanjay Manivasagasivam said the updated proposal is to only review the 52 unisex toilets across the municipality that have been running for more than a decade.
“There are no proposed changes to any single sex toilets at this stage, we have a number of separate female and male toilets they will stay as they are,” he said.
Cr Jonathon Marsden said the petition and the substance of the public toilet strategy are of one.
“The wording of the petition talks about having an inclusive bathroom policy that allows people of all genders access to toilet facilities and that is in fact what we have,” he said.
