At the next general meeting 17 October, I will be moving a motion that Council resolves as follows:
- To develop options and costing for the delivery of public toilets within 200m of the Russell Island IGA (29-39 High St, Russell Island).
- To bring a report to the General Meeting of Council scheduled 21 January 2026.
Background
The issue of accessibility of the toilets at the Russell Island jetty (hillslope, no parking availability, distance) means that there are no accessible public toilets near the shopping area on Russell Island:
1. The jetty toilets have also had ongoing problems with blockages and overflows and poor access for people with a disability. Overflows from the jetty flow into gutter and through stormwater into the bay. These toilets frequently experience blockages, overflow, and smells
2. Toilets in the Russell Island Recreation Hall (1-5 Hawthornden Drive) are currently only available to hall users. There have been frequent reports of sewerage leaking and flowing across footpath and carpark below the toilets.
3. Toilets in library are only available when library is open – availability of these toilets is not advertised as septic capacity is limited.
4. Toilets at Jock Kennedy Park (21 Esplanade) are approximately 500m away.
5. Toilets at Jackson Oval are 2.7km away.
6. High levels of population growth is increasing demand for toilet amenities.
7. Toilets at the IGA are available for staff, not the public.
8. Toilets at Aunty Alice’s Café/Doctors surgery (6 Hawthornden Drive) are available for staff and patrons, not the public.
The availability of public toilets has been an issue of ongoing community concern and numerous requests from the local councillor and community. Older people are soiling themselves, as are children due to no toilet availability. This is not an acceptable outcome for our community. This is not an abstract issue and is of immediate concern to the community, this situation does not exist for any shopping precinct on the mainland.
The lack of accessible public toilets is both a health and environmental hazard:
a) Holding off toilet breaks results adverse health outcomes for individuals
b) Untreated sewerage flowing across public walkways is a public health hazard
c) Untreated sewerage flowing in the Southern Moreton Bay is an environmental hazard