Bateau Bay residents’ new battle to save public toilets

Bateau Bay residents have a new battle on their hands after Central Coast Council revealed plans to demolish a toilet block on Blue Lagoon Reserve.

Resident group Save Our Stairs was successful in persuading Council to apply for a grant to rebuild the stairs to the reserve which it had demolished – without public consultation – after deeming them unsafe.

After a huge outcry from the local community, the Council applied for a State Government grant worth $245,000 to go towards replacing the demolished stairs with new stainless-steel stairs, due to be finished by end of next year.

Residents say they were stunned to now discover Council’s plan to demolish the public toilet block on the reserve – located between Blue Lagoon Resort and Shelly Beach at Bateau Bay – finding the block listed on the Council’s draft Public Toilet Strategy.

Ironically, one of the reasons the Council listed the toilet block for demolition was due to its “poor access”.

Bateau Bay resident Judy Townsend who led the charge to save the stairs is now pleading with the Council to reconsider the proposal to demolish the toilet block.

Residents had until November 7 to have their say on whether they want the toilet block to stay.

Townsend said local tradies had even offered to renovate the facility as a community project.

“Gorgeous new stairs will be in place to access the reserve in June 2025, and we can start planning family reunions, playgroup and picnics on our reserve once again, but only if we don’t let Central Coast Council demolish the toilet block,” she said.

Under the proposal, the Council says the toilet block is reaching its economic end of life with poor access and there were other existing facilities in close proximity to Shelly Beach.

The reserve adjoins the popular Blue Lagoon Resort and Townsend said management revealed the toilet block had been a target for vandals and management had replaced the ceramic bowls with stainless steel ones at their expense.

Townsend said the stairs would allow proper and open access to the reserve which would help deter vandals.