The Owhango community decided to place its new public toilet on the road reserve opposite Owhango Motors on SH4 at a special meeting organised by the Owhango Residents and Ratepayers Association (ORRIS) on Tuesday (25 July) this week.
Owhango was one of the five successful locations around Ruapehu that received government co-investment funding for a public toilet under the Regional mid-sized Tourism Facilities Grant Fund.
Council is now in the process of moving these projects forward and local communities are being asked for their input into their style and aesthetics and where possible the location.
Ruapehu District Council Team Leader for community property Rebecca Van Orden said that council had preselected two public toilet suppliers who provide various design options for modular pre-constructed toilets where the exterior can be stylized in a number of different ways.
Owhango residents were asked to decide on their preferred modular design option, location and what styling or aesthetics they would like on the outside of the toilet, she said.
The preferred design option was for an Exeloo toilet that provides a shelter awning and space for a community notice board.
The community asked for more time to consider what styling or aesthetics they would like for the toilet which will be considered at the next ORRIS committee meeting.
Locating the toilet on the road reserve opposite Owhango Motors on SH4 means it is next to an already formed carpark and provides good access to available power and water supplies.
The toilet will need a resource consent for a septic tank and being on a State Highway permission for land use from the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) however, we do not expect either to be an issue.
Mrs. Van Orden added that the chosen location also leaves plenty of space for any future development such as the suggestion to place an electrical vehicle (EV) charging station alongside the toilet.
The inclusion of an EV charging station will not be part of this development but it is something that council will investigate.
Council would like to thank the Owhango community for taking an active interest in, and supporting this public toilet project, she said.
We anticipate that the project should be completed by the end of November in time for summer and increased usage of the 42nd Traverse and the Tongariro forest.
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