By DANIELLE GALVIN
Petition for Lakeside toilets to be tabled in council
A GROUP of residents are busting for toilets near Pakenham’s Lakeside lake.
At Monday night’s council meeting, Central Ward Councillor Jodie Owen will table a petition signed by more than 500 people for toilets in Lakeside.
Members of the Lakeside Sailing Club, Lakeside Community Development Forum (LCDF) and Cr Owen have been discussing the need for bathroom facilities near the barbecues and playground.
LCDF chair Wendy Andrew said she had spoken to residents about what they had liked to see at the lake.
“It has always been an issue in the area whenever we have events especially with little children. When they need to go, their parents might have to take them home; they can’t wait here for three hours,” she said.
“You also have people walking around here who are pregnant.
“You see parents with young children, they let their kids go in the grass because there’s nowhere else.”
Cr Owen said she was happy to present the petition to councillors.
“For the past year, I have been telling councillors this needed to be done – even before I was elected,” she said.
Cr Owen said she wanted to see the facilities at the lake improved and the first step was the toilets.
“When groups like these hold something, the first thing council says is have you got toilets,” she said.
“It’s just this never ending loop.
“From back when we did the fishing survey, one of the questions on that survey was what facilities do you want at Lakeside.
“We have some great facilities here, let’s improve them.”
Cr Owen said council had some excellent planners who would design the facilities in keeping with the natural landscape and they would be cleaned and maintained.
She said the council compliance officers often visited the lake.
Stewart Baker from the sailing club said one of the 12-year-old girls in the club had to use a bathroom facility in a nearby service station recently.
“Considering how long ago this was developed, this should have been put in years ago,” he said.
“To have a facility that attracts so many people for barbecues and large groups, where do they go – in the bushes.
“It’s just unfortunate council hasn’t had the foresight to consider this.”
Mr Baker has made the petition available every week for residents who walk the lake.
Ms Andrew said most residents wanted to make sure the toilets were kept clean and that they didn’t attract graffiti.
