MEDIA RELEASE | VANDALISM COSTS COMMUNITY AS COUNCIL FORCED TO RESTRICT PUBLIC TOILET ACCESS

Effective immediately the facilities at the far end of Webber Esplanade will be locked every weekday from 3.30pm until 6am, and every weekend from 5pm until 6am. Additionally, all but two of the toilets adjacent to the popular Splash Park will also be locked between these hours.

Both facilities are currently closed for cleaning and urgent repairs.

Historically, Council teams have been able to carry out emergency cleaning and repairs in order to keep them in use, but the recent attacks has made it quite clear that with limited resources to patrol and maintain the facilities, the current afterhours access arrangement is no longer sustainable to maintain, and therefore poses a potential safety risk for the community

“Recently, so many of our public facilities, including those at the Waterfront have been subjected to vandalism to varying degrees of severity,” said Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott. “The most disappointing part it is that all the facilities in this area are used by so many local families and visitors – especially at this time of year, with summer setting in, temperatures rising and festive celebrations in full-swing.”

“Council works incredibly hard to provide and maintain these facilities, but it really is the local families and community groups, tourists and local businesses who rely on the tourists who ultimately get hurt by these selfish acts of vandalism. It’s incredibly disappointing. As always we are working with the Police to identify the offenders.”

Anyone with any information regarding these acts of vandalism are encouraged to contact Police Link on 131 444.

For more information, contact Council’s Media and Communications Coordinator via email at mail@cook.qld.gov.au or phone on 4082 0500.

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