Retain, relocate or remove: that is the question Western Bay of Plenty District Council is putting to the community as it seeks feedback on the future of a public toilet at Precious Family Reserve in Ōmokoroa.

The council is asking residents to weigh in on three options: leave the toilet in its present location, relocate it within the reserve, or remove it and put it elsewhere in the district.

Two potential relocation sites have been identified within the reserve, both further along the shared pathway towards the waterfront.

Relocating the toilet is estimated to cost $145,000 at Site A and $185,000 at Site B, the latter being further from water, power and sewer services. Both proposed sites remain subject to detailed geotechnical assessment, planning consents and compliance with required finished floor levels.

Removing the toilet would cost an estimated $50,000, assuming a site is available that does not require land use consent and is close to existing services, the council says.

The toilet was installed at its current consented location in July last year after being approved by the council’s projects and monitoring committee. However, because of technical constraints, including underground infrastructure and flood risks, that site was not the one originally intended.

Since then, community feedback has revealed mixed views about its location, the consultation process and whether it is needed at all.

In response, the committee agreed in April to go back to the community before making a final decision.

In a media release, Western Bay of Plenty District Council reserves and facilities manager Peter Watson said the reserve had evolved significantly since early concept planning began.

“The original ideas for the reserve were developed during the concept planning phase in 2018. Since then, the reserve has evolved, community expectations have changed, and more people are using the pathway and open space in different ways.

“We also acknowledge that the gap in time between the original adopted plan and delivery has created some frustration for some in the community. That is why we are reopening this conversation now.”

Consultation is open until 11.59pm on Thursday, June 25.

The projects and monitoring committee is expected to make a final decision at its August 25 meeting.

Feedback can be provided online, by email, or via hardcopy forms available at the Ōmokoroa Library and Service Centre. Petitions will not be accepted as formal feedback.

In 2018, as part of planning for the reserve, the council sought community input on desired features, including whether a toilet was needed.

That feedback informed the Precious Family Reserve Concept Plan, and was later incorporated into the Kaimai Reserve Management Plan adopted in 2025.

However, technical investigations during the design phase identified constraints that meant the toilet could not be built where first intended.

To date, $106,336 (including GST) has been spent on design, consenting, site investigations, construction and installation.