Would you pay $453,400 to use a toilet?
That’s how much the newest upgrade to Flinders St is going to put the city council out of pocket, making it the costliest public toilet in Victoria – and possibly the entire country.
Melburnians are no strangers to self-cleaning, fully automatic public toilets, the first of which was introduced to Victoria ten years ago, but the Exeloo Galaxy 01 will bring the experience to a whole new level with its unprecedented price tag.
The location of the new facility will benefit taxi drivers at a neighbouring rank as well as train passengers. It is also hoped to curb public urination in the area, a pet peeve of the Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, especially within the nearby Flinders St commuter tunnel.
While opinions vary on the necessity of a new toilet, most agree that the cost is simply too exorbitant to be justified, especially with pre-existing toilets within Flinders Street Station. "It sounds like a lot of money for one toilet. I’m not sure we need one out here, the ones inside are terrible, they need upgrading more," said Brighton commuter Lisa, 30.
According to Geoff Lawler, director of city planning and infrastructure, the high fees are due to the original $173,000 price tag of the toilet and an additional $280,000 for installation costs. "The installation cost is due to the site's underground services and the after-hours working requirements of the installation," said Mr Lawler.
Such high-tech toilets are favoured by city councils as their limited usage time stops misuse by drug addicts and prostitutes, who tend to frequent public bathrooms. Nine minutes is all that a user is allowed before a warning is given, and the door slides open after a grace period of one minute.
The single-unit, stainless steel toilet building is due to be installed within the next two weeks on Flinders St.