Western Bay of Plenty District Council has decided to carry out a new round of consultation on the public toilet at Precious Family Reserve in Ōmokoroa.
The decision was made by the Projects and Monitoring Committee, following criticism about the consultation process leading up to the toilet’s installation in July last year.
After a robust discussion, Councillors voted 8-2 in favour of a new round of consultation to determine the community's view on the presence and placement of a toilet in the reserve, including the current location, other options and the associated costs.
It is estimated it would cost $145,000 to relocate the toilet to a new position on Precious Family Reserve, and $50,000 to remove it and relocate it to a different site elsewhere in the District. The cost of the project to date is $80,000.
The toilet was installed at its current site after being approved by the Projects and Monitoring Committee at its June 2025 meeting.
The facility is part of the Precious Family Reserve Concept Plan, which was adopted in 2018 following public consultation.
The Concept Plan, which showed the toilet in a different location, stated that the final site would be decided following investigations for stormwater management.
Due to the location of underground wastewater pipes and storage tanks, the original location of the planned toilet was shifted, with resource consent granted for a more suitable site nearby.
On behalf of a group of Ōmokoroa residents - Dr Bruce McCabe presented a petition (376 signatories) to Council in March 2025 opposing the new location.
While there was no legal requirement to consult on the toilet’s exact location, it was acknowledged at this week’s meeting that there could have been better communication with adjoining residents and the community at large, given that it had been seven years since the Concept Plan was adopted.
Consultation with the Ōmokoroa community will take place later in 2026.
To watch the Projects and Monitoring Committee meeting on the Precious Reserve Toilet visit: Projects and Monitoring Committee - 21 April 26
