About the project
Update: Engagement period is now closed
Thank you to everyone who provided their feedback on this project, which will help to inform Council decision-making.
An Engagement Summary Report summarising what we heard from the community will be uploaded to this page in April, and a link sent out to project page followers.
What is the plan for the new public toilet block at St Kilda Botanical Gardens?
About this project
The current St Kilda Botanic Gardens public toilet block is outdated, with limited capacity (just 5 toilets) resulting in congestion and long wait times, especially in the busy warmer months.
A 2021 accessibility compliance audit found the existing toilet block does not meet Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance.
A new accessible, inclusive public toilet block with improved capacity will better serve all park users. It will be built in addition to the existing toilet block, which will remain. The architecturally designed toilet block will be a single-storey building located closer to the playground, pending Heritage Victoria’s approval.
This upgrade will improve accessibility, safety, and capacity, especially during peak times, while reducing reliance on temporary hired toilets. The project will enhance the park's infrastructure, meet community needs, and support universal design and CPTED principles.
We propose to include the following in the new public toilet block a minimum of 5 toilets, including:
- One female toilet
- One male toilet
- Two unisex toilets that are Disability Discrimination Act compliant
- One all-gender ambulant toilet.
It may be possible to provide more toilets, subject to available budget and permit requirements.
We propose to equip these toilets with:
- Separate entry doors for each toilet
- A roof over the toilet building
- Baby-change facilities (within the DDA toilets) to enable carers of any gender to change their baby
- Hooks to hang personal items while using the toilet facilities
- Sanitary bins
- Clear and inclusive signage
- Incorporated Syringe Disposal System.
You can provide your feedback on the proposed new public toilet block before 23 March 2025.
Design guidelines and proposed location
Design guidelines for the new public toilets
The following set of design guidelines will guide the design and construction of the new public toilets:
- New amenities block to complement existing facilities and close to the playground.
- Sculptural, organic design that blends with the landscape.
- Will not obstruct views, especially from the rose garden arbour.
- Clear identification as an amenities facility with DDA access.
- Safe, equitable design for all visitors.
- Natural colours, textured materials with anti-graffiti finishes.
- Durable, low-maintenance design inspired by existing amenities.
Proposed location for the new public toilet block
In the map below, Location A is where the current public toilet block is situated, Location B is where the playground is situated, and Location C is where the new public toilet block is proposed.
Provide your feedback
FAQs
A new public toilet block is needed at St Kilda Botanical Gardens because the current toilet block is outdated and doesn't meet the needs of our community. The current toilet block has limited capacity (just five toilets), resulting in congestion, long wait times, and frequent maintenance issues, including vandalism and misuse, and it doesn't meet Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance. Currently, toilet capacity in St Kilda Botanical Gardens is increased during peak times through a reliance on temporary toilets.
This project does not include any plans to make changes to the existing public toilets. The condition of the existing toilets will continue to be assessed, and minor renewals work will continue to be undertaken at regular intervals to ensure they remain in fair condition and continue to be available for use. The new proposed public toilets would be built in addition to the existing public toilet block.
Currently, hired portable toilets are used over the summer period to supplement the existing toilets, at a cost of over $11,000 per year.
We propose to include the following in the new public toilet block a minimum of 5 toilets, including:
- One female toilet
- One male toilet
- Two unisex toilets that are Disability Discrimination Act compliant
- One all-gender ambulant toilet.
It may be possible to provide more toilets, subject to available budget and permit requirements.
These toilets will be in addition to the existing 5 toilets, for a minimum total of 10 toilets.
The opening hours of the new public toilet block will be in line with the opening hours of the St Kilda Botanical Gardens - dawn to dusk, seven days a week.
All-gender toilets allow for use by a wider range of people, including people who are not safe or comfortable using sex-segregated toilets. They are a safe and inclusive option for people of all genders. And they reduce wait times because anyone can use them.
All-gender toilets also provide a space for any parent or guardian to change their baby, or for those who need additional support to use toilets with carers of a different gender.
Council takes anti-social behaviour very seriously. Public toilets have been prone to anti-social behaviour, mainly due to poor location and poor design of public toilet blocks. Toilets were often hidden away, providing offenders with a quiet, secluded site to engage in activities which may compromise the safety of the community as well as Council staff and contractors.
That’s why we plan to locate public toilets in highly visible, highly accessible and highly used pedestrian areas where offenders are deterred from anti-social behaviour. The design of toilet blocks should be more functional than comfortable to dissuade people from spending extended periods of time within the toilet blocks. Existing toilets that are not ideally located or well-designed will progressively be addressed as we continue to upgrade and replace our toilet network across our City.
Unfortunately, many of our public toilets are subject to vandalism and anti-social behaviour. This is most often damage or theft of fixtures and fittings, such as hand-drier units, fires in rubbish bins, and toilets and sinks clogged with paper towels causing blockages.
Due to the ongoing high costs to fix these issues, Council does not provided hand drying facilities. The fixtures and fittings used in our public toilets are robust and vandal-resistant in an effort to make sure our toilets remain functional for all to use.
We clean public toilets on a seasonal schedule. Toilets in heavily used areas are cleaned six times a day during the summer and twice a day during the cooler months. Most other toilets are cleaned twice a day throughout the year, with some exceptions for higher use during the cooler season or special events. One of these cleans occurs after-hours when the toilets are closed so they are clean for opening the next day.
On occasion, cleaning may be delayed if toilets are in use or if there are safety concerns due to anti-social behaviour. Toilets are only as clean as the last people to use them. Where there are reports of unsatisfactory conditions, officers will organise for cleaners to attend as soon as possible to address this.
We are looking in trialling QR codes with a ‘smiley’ system, often found in shopping mall and airport amenities, to seek feedback on how people feel about the cleanliness of a facility, in an effort to review the current cleaning schedule and determine if any amendments are required.
