THE state of the public toilets at Trunkey Creek has been causing a bit of stink at Bathurst Regional Council.
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Councillors have agreed to investigate the provision of public toilets in the village following a request from the proprietors of the Black Stump Hotel for council to help pay for maintenance of the hotel's facilities.
Wayne Boserio wrote to council saying his parents had bought the hotel in 2003, shortly before the former Bathurst City Council merged with Evans Shire Council.
Mr Boserio said the former Evans Shire Council had built public toilets on hotel land in the 1980s and had an agreement with the hotel owners to split maintenance on the facilities 50-50. The toilets were used both by pub patrons and the travelling public.
Those toilets are now in poor condition and council has been warned the only other public toilets in Trunkey Creek, near the recreation ground, were difficult to access, particularly in wet and muddy conditions.
"All I am asking is for the council to provide a grant or funding for building materials to refurbish the [hotel] toilets and build a roof from the hotel to the toilets," Mr Boserio said in his letter.
"We've done our fair share of maintenance with no compensation whatsoever in 13 years and I would like to get something sorted out before the amalgamation with Oberon and we are completely forgotten about out here in Trunkey."
Mr Boserio was seeking between $23,000 and $27,000 for building materials, toilets, basin, a bore pump, plumbing, paint, tiles and floor sealer.
The only problem is, Bathurst Regional Council can find no evidence that such a deal with Evans was ever in place.
A report to councillors by engineering services director Doug Patterson acknowledged that the pub's toilets had the appearance of a "publicly accessible facility" and he noted that Trunkey Creek was at the southern entrance to the Bathurst region and it was in council's best interest to create a good first impression for visitors.
Councillors agreed to investigate what could be done to improve public toilet facilities in Trunkey Creek.