Upgrade for dated' toilets

South Wairarapa residents will soon be able to make a comfort stop in one of two new automatic toilets, due in Martinborough by December and Greytown by May.

South Wairarapa District Council will be spending $400,000 on the two new loos, which will replace the public toilets on Martinborough Square and the Centennial Memorial Restrooms in Greytown.

Planning and environment manager Glenn Bunny said the loos had been budgeted for in the Long Term Plan 2012-22 and although they would be looking at upgrades around the district, Martinborough and Greytown had been indentified as priorities.

"The current ones are fairly dated and not very pleasant, in terms of the actual amenities and the visual look. Public toilets are quite an important part of people's lives."

Both will replace the existing buildings entirely, and the new loos will each have a urinal, an accessible stall, another pan and baby-changing facilities.

The Martinborough loos will also have the capacity to have portaloos clipped on to the side, so when events like Toast Martinborough happen sewerage can be funnelled through the same system.

Mr Bunny said they were still investigating the extra services available for the construction of the loos, such as music.

He said they may be able to have the ability to lock the loos remotely as well, avoiding having to send a contractor out to lock them at night.

Mr Bunny said the designs were still at the draft stage, and after some feedback from the community boards they would be modified slightly.

"We wanted them to not look like toilet blocks, we wanted them to fit in with the surrounding environment. The heritage aspects of Greytown and Martinborough are very important and we wanted to fit something that would complement and add to those environment not detract from them."