I recently met with local residents who are desperate to see public toilets provided at our much-loved Mt Coolum National Park.
More than 10,000 locals and tourists visit this iconic tourism destination every month to climb to the summit and enjoy the views. Visitors include bus-loads of school children and families with young children and unfortunately many get caught short on their return and are shocked to find there are no public toilet facilities when they return to the base of the mountain.
Our pristine national park is being damaged by people being forced to respond to the call of nature behind the nearest bush and local residents have had enough. They tell me that people often knock on their doors to ask to use their facilities or they look out of their windows to see them relieving themselves in their gardens or in the national park.
In response to their concerns, last year I sponsored a petition with 1120 signatures which I tabled in Parliament, calling on Minister to provide these much-needed public facilities. Unfortunately he has refused to acknowledge the need for toilet facilities, suggesting that people use the public toilets in Birrahl Park which is 1.8 km away (a further 27 minutes’ walk or 5 minutes’ drive) This is clearly not a practical solution and I am continuing to lobby on behalf of the community for these much-needed facilities to be provided.
Please help by joining my Facebook Campaign to call on the Minister to act. I will write all the names of people who post a comment on toilet rolls which I will personally deliver to the Minister, to remind him that the need for toilets here is urgent and very real. Please support this campaign at www.facebook.com/FionaSimpsonMP.
