Tasman Council lashes out at Parks Minister Nick Duigan over services and infrastructure

Tasman Mayor Rod MacDonald has lashed out at Parks Minister Nick Duigan over what he says is declining services and infrastructure on the peninsula.

The public toilets at Stewarts Bay were closed, and those at Roaring Beach are set to close soon.

Cr MacDonald said the council and community needed to be genuinely consulted before vital infrastructure or services are removed from the region.

‘We’re a major tourism region and important income earner for the state, and support from the government has dropped away,” he said.

“It’s alarming, and we will be doing all we can to reverse things and get some decent public infrastructure restored.”

Tasman residents had been reaching out to Cr MacDonald personally about what they perceive as declining services and infrastructure.

“The community generally has been pretty angry with it all,” he said.

“Our community and council have been pushing to improve liveability, and they have services cut with disregard for the community.”

Cr MacDonald said he wanted a plant for the Stewarts Bay toilets reinstated and an alternative solution for the ones at Roaring Beach.

“Around 35 per cent of our municipality is either national parks or Crown land, and that drives a massive tourism industry.

“To be removing services beggars belief.”

Mr Duigan said the government was investing more than $1.5 million in servicing and maintaining public toilets, visitor facilities, and other infrastructure on reserved land within the Tasman municipality.

“This investment supports both local residents and businesses and includes the Blow Hole toilet facility, which incurs substantial ongoing operational costs.

“This is in addition to our Government's $1.65 million election commitment to upgrade visitor facilities at Tasman Arch and Devils Kitchen, as well as funding allocated to investigate replacement options for the Blow Hole toilet.”

He said the Stewarts Bay and Roaring Beach toilets have reached the end of their serviceable life.

“Assessments identified significant safety concerns and environmental risks.

“PWS discussed the removal of these facilities with Council officers, who indicated they had received limited community feedback regarding the removal of the Stewarts Bay toilet.”