Note to Kirk, flags at government buildings were at half mast the next day, not that anyone would take much notice.
As I have mentioned in the past, the seven year old twins have become delightful young girls at the age of seven.
We celebrated their birthdays at Eliston District Park in the outer suburb of Clyde. There was maybe a dozen adults and perhaps eight children. The children's play equipment was the best I've ever seen. The park is so well designed with older and younger children play equipment, a number of tables with benches and quite nicely landscaped, although I would have liked to see some good deciduous shade trees. I get the reason for planting native trees but they are not generally good shade trees.
There was also outdoor exercise equipment spread around the park, along with skateboard ramps. Really, it was so good, except...
There weren't toilets. Twice children were taken to a vacant blog of land with houses each side to 'go'. Some adults also almost discreetly used the vacant block of land. How charming for the houses either side. One rather forward and cheeky person in our party knocked at a house door where we had seen the resident sitting to ask to use their toilet. No one answered the door and I guess this would not be the first time for such a knock.
The intention was a sausage sizzle, but both electric barbeques would not work. So many other park users arrived with food to barbeque and could not. Fortunately one of our party had a single burner portable gas stove, fuelled by cans of gas. It kind of the did the job, but not really. It took some time to cook the meat for our number of people.
The sole rubbish bin was overflowing and why no recycling bin?
The non working barbeque was a very basic maintenance issue. The park without toilets is a design matter. Anyone who has had children or closely experienced them knows how often and how erratically they need to go, never mind adult needs.
Some did the same as R and myself and left the park, drove a kilometre south to a petrol station to use its toilets. We felt obliged to at least buy a flavoured milk drink. Someone else among our party had done the same and bought a chocolate bar.
The park was very busy and I expect many others were in the same situation. In one way, a great achievement City of Casey. In another way City of Casey, it is a disgrace, and to be sure, City of Casey will hear of my opinion.
I didn't take any photos although R did and they are on his phone, along with 2,700 other photos. Here is a Google Maps screen shot of the park. Contrary to the photo, it was very green.
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No toilets is an epic fail. I am glad that you are going to complain. And hope that you all had a good time despite the obstacles put in your way.
ReplyDeleteEC, it wasn't the best time I've had, but it was ok. I think everyone was relieved to go home, but the kiddies had a great time and that's what it was about.
DeleteWhat a baffling oversight. Parks, schools, and neighborhoods in general are getting major overhauls here. Of course our taxes keep rising but at least we see some results.
ReplyDeleteBack in the 2000's I went to an annual outdoor rock music festival that supplied a long row of portable toilets. We concert goers couldn't wash our hands but at least relieve ourselves in a private and otherwise sanitary manner. Those units can be found almost everywhere a full bathroom isn't, like construction sites and at bike trail parking lots.
Best wishes!
Darla, nowadays such portable toilets have a foot operated pump for water at a wash basin. The ones I've seen anyway. It is more than just an oversight, clearly intentional.
DeleteOoh, that's a nice feature. This is intentional? That's crazy. Then again, that describes a lot of humans.
DeleteI recalled reading a news article about corruption in Casey Council. Of course, it is normal to be corrupt to survive the political landscape here. But the successive mayors in that area tends to be quite bizarre.
ReplyDeleteRoentare, I think it now has administrators in charge rather than elected councillors. Your recollection is accurate.
DeleteCertainly needs a complaint put in to council. Little ‘local’ blocks aka parks never have toilets because it’s usually locals living nearby who use them. But that’s a fairly large space and something more structured like this really should cater for those needs.
ReplyDeleteMoney money money - priorities- attitudes of councillors - you name it. There’s probably many reasons why.
Cathy, yes of course you don't expect those small parks to have public toilets that may be visited for half an hour, but this really isn't a small park.
DeleteI was mentally classing that park as 10/10 until I read no toilets. WTH?? I remember a birthday party when my great nephew turned three, the play equipment was excellent and the barbecues working, the toilets were way off across the other side of a sports field, but at least they were there. I agree you need to let your opinion be known on that matter, as well as the non-working bbq's and overflowing bins. Perhaps they imagine people will take their rubbish home as in the old days? I would probably still do that.
ReplyDeleteRiver, yes, yes and yes. I would prefer no bins to overflowing bins and no recycling bins. Parks Victoria has a policy of no bins and it seems to work well enough.
DeleteNO TOILETS???? Who on earth would design a playground with no toilets. That's some piss poor planning.
ReplyDeleteNice work Debby.
DeleteGood luck with Casey Council. They like taking rates and issuing fines but they aren't very good and spending rate payers' money for the rate payers' benefit.
ReplyDeleteMerlot, I was rather shocked about what I saw in this area of fast growth, shocked in a very bad way. I don't think I mentioned that there was virtually no mobile phone/data service.
DeleteIt is one of the fastest growing areas in Melbourne and one of the more poorly serviced in many ways.
DeleteI can barely imagine what those roundabouts in Clyde Road are like in peak times. They will all have to be replaced by traffic lights. It was quite depressing really, and where is the train extension to Clyde? The suburb is already there. The train should have come first.
DeleteThanks for letting me know about the flags and the shout-out. Yes, it is very odd to have a park playground without any rest rooms. I wonder of that cuts down on visitors.
ReplyDeleteKIrk, for the family group as we were, it will certainly mean we won't go there again.
DeleteI wonder if the non-provision of toilets (not unique to this park) originated with a desire to cut down on a certain type of visitor.
ReplyDeleteMC, I might have agreed with you in years past but modern stainless steel self cleaning musical toilets are not facilities for lingering. Ah, memories.
DeleteThe park sounds beautiful by your description Andrew, but, no toilets well that is wrong not to have them especially for little ones who need to go when they say and not a moment longer if I recall what my boys were like when little. It is a real disgrace with the barbecues not working either.. I think I would have gone elsewhere.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, what should have happened is that Hippie Niece and her partner should have checked out the park in advance to see if it was appropriate. I did so at Easter at Brickmakers Park. Parking, toilets, play equipment, walks, historical interest, tables and shelter, all from the comfort of my chair where I am now. Ours was a picnic and not a barbeque and I couldn't check if the barbeques were working but it's a reasonable expectation that they will.
DeleteCouncils have been shutting down loos for years here. The expense of cleaning them I suppose. A slightly 'fail' barbeque as well but I am sure everyone enjoyed it Andrew.
ReplyDeleteThelma, I can't remember seeing them in your country but the modern self cleaning toilets need minimal staff attendance. Maybe they cost a lot to buy, but the ongoing cost is minimal. We made the best of it, or I did at least.
DeleteHow strange not to build toilets. It sounds as though the place needs an overhaul, with barbecues not working either.
ReplyDeleteJB, as a very new park, it really shouldn't need an overhaul.
DeleteOne rubbish bin, a non working bbq and no toilets? Most families would like their children to run around in parks, to breath the fresh air. in all the greenery. I would go to the beach instead.
ReplyDeleteThe beach may have been a good option Hels, but the kiddies did love all the play equipment and exhausted themselves. Apart from my issues, it really is a great park for kiddies and adults.
DeleteDespite the challenges, a good time was had by most.
ReplyDeleteTP, it was good enough.
DeleteThat sounds like a county park here. Like the park where people dump cats, half the bathrooms don't work and are locked. Instead of fixing those, they've just built a new restroom, but they leave the broken ones standing with mossy roofs and new people go to use them, and can't understand why they are locked.
ReplyDeleteStrayer, that doesn't sound good. Aside from the non working barbeques, the park was well maintained, just lacking some basics.
DeleteHere the push is on to have winterized washrooms so that they are all available all winter long. Small parks don't qualify of course but the one you were at should have had at least a couple of portable toilets.
ReplyDeletePat, I wonder what winterized means for public toilets. A decent sized public park should have adequate permanent toilets.
DeleteIt means that it is heated and the water supply is set up so that it doesn't freeze. Many of our permanent toilet buildings were not winterized because no one really thought about it at the time. Now the move is on to make parks available for all the seasons.
DeleteThanks Pat. I am sure even in your winters people still move about in the open, appropriately dressed.
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