PLANS to build a new public toilet block on Russell Island have moved a step closer, despite revelations that a standard Redland City Council facility could cost about $1 million to construct.
At Wednesday’s general meeting, councillors unanimously supported a motion from Councillor Shane Rendalls calling for options and costings to be developed for public toilets within 200 metres of the Russell Island IGA.
A report is due to come back to council in January 2026.
Cr Rendalls said the lack of accessible toilets in the island’s main shopping area had become a major concern for residents, particularly older people, families, and those with disabilities.
“Older people are soiling themselves, as are children, due to no toilet availability,” Cr Rendalls said.
“This is not an acceptable outcome for our community.
“This situation does not exist for any shopping precinct on the mainland.”
He said existing toilets on the island were either too far away, inaccessible, or restricted to users of certain facilities, while some had ongoing maintenance and sewage overflow issues.
“We have untreated faecal matter flowing not just into the bay, but across the footpath, into the bay,” Cr Rendalls said.
“This is not an acceptable situation in a First World country.”
However, the project faces a potential cost challenge, with council’s General Manager for Infrastructure and Operations, Chris Isles, revealing that a recent tender for a standardised toilet block on Russell Island came in at around $1 million.
“We had one tender respond, and that was the price that came back — and we didn’t proceed, because I probably would agree that that’s not good value for money,” he said.
Mr Isles said the council could instead explore demountable or modular options as a more cost-effective alternative.
“We can certainly explore some demountable options moving forward, if that is perhaps a consideration,” he said.
“We’ve looked to standardise toilet blocks for ease and maintenance across the city, but that might be something to revisit as we move forward.”
Cr Rowanne McKenzie said while she understood the logic of having a standardised model across the city, the islands were “a little more nuanced.”
“Considering the cost of delivering infrastructure — if it’s around a million dollars for a public toilet — we may need to look at alternatives rather than using the same standard facility we have on the mainland,” she said.
Cr McKenzie said she supported further information coming back to council, noting it was not a commitment to funding and that any future report would be subject to budget considerations.
Cr Rendalls welcomed the unanimous support for his motion, saying it was an important first step toward addressing what had become a health and environmental issue for the Russell Island community.
If the motion’s next phase proceeds, council officers will develop detailed options aimed at delivering a public toilet facility that meets community needs.
