A stink has erupted over the Shellharbour Junction station toilets, which will be completed more than a year after the station’s opening.
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The station opened on November 22, 2014, with a promise from Transport for NSW that a permanent toilet would be ‘‘part of finishing touches being added to the new facility in coming months’’.
On January 14, then Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian promised ‘‘the toilet will be open to customers this year, in 2015’’.
A temporary toilet was installed in February 2015 and was still in use in June when a Transport for NSW spokesman said a permanent toilet would be built by the end of the year.
However, that time-frame has been pushed back again - to some time in 2016.
Shellharbour MP Anna Watson asked a question without notice of the new Transport Minister Andrew Constance about the timeline for the toilets’ construction.
‘‘Work on a permanent Family Accessible Toilet is scheduled to commence in October 2015 and finish early next year,’’ Mr Constance said.
Ms Watson was not impressed with the government forcing Shellharbour Junction commuters to wait more than a year for a permanent toilet.
‘‘The construction of Shellharbour Junction Station has been one blunder after another for the State Government,’’ Ms Watson said.
“First there was a $5 million cost blow-out, then there was the name-changing debacle, and now there is the toilet fiasco.
“The State Government has been flush with excuses for each blunder.’’
Ms Watson labelled the temporary toilet ‘‘Gareth’s Gazebo’’, after Kiama MP Gareth Ward ‘‘who as the local MP, had to take responsibility for the blunders’’.
Mr Ward, while finding the Gareth’s Gazebo jibe amusing, questioned Ms Watson’s priorities.
‘‘Where’s Anna Watson’s offering on how to generate jobs? How to build the infra we need?,’’ Mr Ward asked.
‘‘Where is her focus? On the bog.
‘‘It seems that Anna’s bogged in this issue. I’m not going to indulge her toilet humour any further.
‘‘She continues to raise stories around a station they refused to build, despite promising it, for a full 10 years.
‘‘Who built the station? We did. Will the toilet be delivered? Yes it will. Is the station the most important thing? Absolutely. Have I fixed the problem? Completely.’’