Four public toilets in Oamaru could be closed by the Waitaki District Council in a bid to reduce costs on ratepayers and cut the projected rates increase for the next financial year.
The council, in initial consideration of its draft 2010-11 annual plan, is looking at closing the lower Thames St (next to The Last Post), Severn St, main Oamaru Gardens and Awamoa Park public toilets, which would save $48,256 a year and help offset an increase of $53,000 in contract cleaning costs.
That proposal will be debated by councillors at a council meeting tomorrow to discuss the draft 2010-11 annual plan.
However, before any final decision is made, people will get the chance to have their say as part of the annual plan consultation which starts on March 23.
Policy manager Ben Hopkins, in a report to tomorrow's council meeting, said shutting the four public toilets would still leave seven "primary and secondary" public toilets available in downtown Oamaru.
In addition to those, other public toilets were at the Oamaru Penguin Colony, Oamaru cemetery, Roberts Park and Centennial Park.
Closing the lower Thames St toilets has been considered in the past but they were retained after public and councillor pressure.
Closure of the other three has not been proposed before.
Mr Hopkins said central Oamaru would still have a large number of public toilets and closing four would have a minimum impact on the public.
The council also had to deal with unnecessary duplication of facilities.
There was no charge for using public toilets, which meant the cost fell heavily on ratepayers.
In addition, contract costs were escalating, putting strong pressure on budgets.
