Paddington portaloos are “kidding,” says Harriet Price, Woollahra councillor
She also asked if it was safe for traders to use Portaloos parked in narrow streets without crash barriers or other protection.
Woollahra Councilwoman Harriet Price said toilet trailers were taking up parking spaces, angering residents who were trying to park their cars.Credit: Nick Moir
“Eating on the street in a parklet requires the installation of crash barriers. Why not here?” she said.
The council spokesman said they had received six complaints about Portaloos in the past year, “mainly for obstructing pathways or parking”.
Price said Paddington residents are far from upholding NIMBYism at the highest level and are relatively tolerant of disruption during construction.
“But that’s an unacceptable trend, especially when the toilet is some distance from the site to take advantage of unrestricted parking,” she said.
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If toilet facilities cannot be accommodated on a construction site, Price says they should be located nearby by paying for a work zone or other permit.
“Other structural infrastructure on the roadway, such as dumpsters, has certain fees and charges,” she said.
Brian Seidler, chief executive of the Master Builders Association of NSW, said toilet trailers parked on streets posed “relatively little exposure” to residents whose homes are being enhanced by their neighbours’ renovations.
“They don’t complain when a multi-million dollar residence is being completed next to them, adding value to their home and the suburb as a whole,” he said. “They are also not offering access to their house during construction to alleviate the unsightly portaloo.”
A Coates spokeswoman said the rental company could not provide the number of toilet trailers rented each week across Sydney as this fluctuates.
“I think it’s a customer’s personal decision as to what type of portal they need for their website,” she said. “Be [a] Thanks to the trailer toilet, you have more freedom to take the car to another construction site and move it around there.”
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