Although the Waikato Times reported that hundreds of people stop every day in Whatawhata and ask for a public toilet, there is no relief in sight for them. Many Raglan visitors stop at Whatawhata expecting to find a public toilet. While the tourist stop used to have public toilets operated by the local pub in conjunction with Waikato District Council that arrangement ended when the Council ended the contract saying the toilets weren’t up to standard.
Now Waikato District Council has announced new toilets for the Onewhero and Te Kauwhata domains. Nothing has been announced for Whatawhata. The Waikato District Council says, “It is unlikely to be installing public toilets any time soon. The draft toilet strategy doesn’t actually identify the need for a toilet in Whatawhata, so there is no funding in the long term for it based on that strategy. We are aware of the public interest – which is coming through our local Councillor and community groups. So we are looking at alternative funding solutions to achieve this.”
Seems odd that when there is a demand that WDC has a strategy that doesn’t cover a known very high demand. Meanwhile at Onewhero Domain where there are 12 freedom campers in the winter and 20 in the summer months it is upgrading toilets. Te Kauwhata averages upwards of 35 in summer and 20 in winter. Money for the Onewhereo and Te Kauwhata toilet work has come from the Government’s $8.5 million responsible camping funding package.
Jason Hooker we do have a solution,we still have the infistructor ie septic system ,water but the council has other plans or agenda so it’s out of our hands