Toilet talks have a happy ending

NewQuay owners’ corporations briefly closed their toilets to the public last month after becoming frustrated with the City of Melbourne.

The council has no public toilets of its own and relies on the private facilities of the various NewQuay buildings.

The owners and the council have had a memorandum of understanding in place for the last two years but the owners were becoming increasingly frustrated at what they believed was council apathy.

Boyd, Palladio and St Elia owners corporation chair Paul O’Halloran also had an issue with the council changing traffic conditions without any consultation which resulted in removalists being forced to drive against the traffic up a one-way street.

“Despite our repeated requests to both MCC and MAB nobody has had the courtesy to contact us,” Mr O’Halloran had earlier complained.

The council has subsequently met with the owners’ corporations and Mr O’Halloran has agreed to open his St Mangos Lane toilets.  He said the toilets in Aquatania Way would be only opened for specific events only.

“The council came down here and fixed the traffic problem in 90 seconds and it looks like we are going to be able to negotiate a five-year agreement on the toilets,” he said.

The Arkley owners corporations has decided to keep its toilet closed to the public and the Nolan will close its Caravel Lane toilet.

Nolan owners corporation chair Michele Anderson said she was unable to negotiate a suitable deal with the council.