Leith Place Toilets: Owning the Problem, Fixing the Mess

Let’s talk about the Leith Place toilets.

When they first went in, they made a big splash, and not in the way we expected. They were bold, modern, and eye-catching. Designed by an architectural firm in Rotorua, these unique structures stood tall in the heart of town, with glowing lights, creative materials, and award-winning flair. In fact, they went on to win three major design awards, including the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Best Loo Award in 2022.

But here’s the truth: behind the awards and headlines, the plumbing simply didn’t work.

From day one, the toilets were plagued by constant blockages and maintenance problems. The design, while impressive to look at, didn’t stack up to the realities of a high-use public facility. It got to the point where we were spending more time, and money, fixing them than the community was spending using them.

It wasn’t sustainable. It wasn’t practical. And it wasn’t acceptable.

That’s why we made the call to remove them and start again.

A Practical Solution: New Toilets That Work

In April, new relocatable toilets are being installed at the Leith Place carpark. These new facilities, built off-site by Portabuild, are designed to be durable, easy to maintain, and fit for purpose. The project will cost around $600,000, which is a significant investment, but one that will pay off in the long run by reducing the constant repair costs we’ve been battling for years.

These new toilets are relocatable, meaning if Leith Place changes in the future, we can move them. They’re practical, flexible, and they’ll simply do the job.

Setbacks Along the Way

Like any project, there were a few bumps in the road. The foundation work was delayed due to unsuitable ground conditions found beneath the slab , something we couldn’t have predicted, even with geotech reports. Then, storms and public holidays pushed the timeline out further. But the team has worked hard to keep things moving, and we’re nearly there.

Fronting Up and Moving Forward

“Look, this one got a lot of heat, and I understand why. The old toilets looked the part, but they didn’t work. It was frustrating for the public, and for us too. So we made the call to fix it properly, not just put another band-aid on it.”

This is what leadership means to me: owning the hard calls, learning from the missteps, and putting the community first. It would’ve been easy to ignore the issue or patch things up again, but that’s not how we do things.

Now, we’re on track to deliver a public toilet facility that’s simple, clean, reliable, and built to last.

That’s the kind of progress I stand behind.

- Gary

Authorised by Gary Petley, 87 Kensington Street, Putāruru, 027 483 6809.