The spectacle of people urinating in the doorways of K' Road businesses is pretty unedifying.
Shopkeepers shouldn’t have to turn up and deal with the aftermath of this, and worse, when they prepare to open each morning.
I have a lot of sympathy for the businesses on K' Road. This has become more difficult for them to manage since public toilets were closed as part of the City Rail Link (CRL) construction works.
It’s meant there’s a lack of loos in the area and we’re seeing the results of that now. I tried getting CRL to open the new Beresford Square toilets as part of the Karanga-a-Hape train station earlier than planned.
They gave lots of reasons why it wasn’t possible, none of which are much help to K' Road businesses and residents. Council then promised me an ‘upmarket’ temporary toilet block would be put in place several weeks ago. I was disappointed to learn this wasn’t actioned.
Instead, we ended up with a couple of very unappealing portaloos that are in such a grubby state that many would hesitate to use them. It’s just not good enough on a range of levels.
I don’t think having reasonable public toilet facilities is asking too much. We should be able to do this and do it well. It seems absurd to me that the Mayor of the city needs to get involved in something so basic. But I’m happy to do it and see it through.
It’s also pretty clear there is, at best, mixed support for the permanent toilets council is planning to build in Mercury Lane. There are concerns it will become a haven for all manner of unsavouriness and I can understand that, to an extent.
I’m wary of foisting a solution on the local community that isn’t wanted. It may be the best option but we need to bring the locals with us and help them understand why, not just tell them this is how it’s going to be.
I’ve had another go at getting council to engage properly with the local community to come up with a solution the majority can support. Let’s see how it goes.
The K' Road district is one of our city’s colourful, vibrant melting pots. I should know – I lived in the neighbourhood myself until very recently.
People from all walks of life gather here and it should be a place where we celebrate our diversity and inclusiveness. It‘s also a place of contrasts. Amid the fun and colour of the night spots and entertainment, some of our most vulnerable Aucklanders sleep rough on the streets. Some grapple not only with homelessness but mental health and addiction issues.
We need to be taking a compassionate approach to people in this situation. And I don’t think we can sheet home all the issues around public urination to this group.
Antisocial conduct in the area takes many forms – graffiti, drug use, begging, intoxication, violence and other threatening behaviour. People relieving themselves in doorways is only one of the symptoms.
We need to look at how we can help preserve all that’s great about K' Road while reducing the things that may deter some people from going there for a fun time and supporting local businesses in the process.
I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I welcome good ideas about what we can do to improve things. And we can get the toilets sorted in the meantime. (Wayne Brown)
www.facebook.com/WayneBrownAuckland
Mayor.Wayne.Brown@Aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
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