Several concerns raised over toilet block at popular Whangārei beach

The public toilet block in the reserve area adjacent to the public carpark at the end of Wehi Wehi and Waetford Rds at Matapouri Bay. Photo / Supplied

Whangārei District Council has moved to confirm its public toilet block at Matapouri is legal and safe after concerns were raised by a nearby resident.

Matapouri resident Laurie Wooding had alleged the block had been operating illegally for 20 years after he obtained a copy of the building consent signed in 1997 which stated a resource consent was required before work could commence, but the council never obtained one.

Wooding uncovered the suspected non-compliance after he said his bore water smelt like sewage and he took a sample to the council laboratory at the end of October. It was found to have E.coli in it. He lives next to the reserve where the toilet block is.

The toilet has a septic tank which then flows out into an effluent field and Wooding believes the soakage field cannot keep up and the wastewater is "infiltrating" his bore water.

"We use our bore water for household purposes when the water tanks run dry in summer and now will have to purchase water to top up our tanks as and when required."

The toilet's system was designed to cater for 150 people a day and a maximum of 1200 litres a day.

"We have thousands of people out here over summer," Wooding said.

He estimates the toilet block is pushing through 2500 to 3000 litres a day in summer and believes the system can't cope.

"The system doesn't get a rest. It's far too small for all the people here."

Wooding wants to see the toilet block shut down until something is done about.

But Whangārei District Council chief executive Rob Forlong said he had looked into the matter and was "pleased to advise that the Matapouri toilets are lawful".

In regard to the building consent which stated a resource consent was required before work can commence on replacing the toilets, Forlong said on December 18, 1997 planners and surveyors Reyburn and Bryant wrote to the council's then regulatory manager and explained that the toilets were authorised under the RMA and the Reserves Act.

"Later in 1998 the toilets were raised by 600mm. Council again sought confirmation that no consent was required and this was confirmed by planning consultants at the time," Forlong said.

"We have since checked and have confirmed that no resource consent was required."

Forlong also addressed Wooding's concerns about his bore water.

"I understand that concerns arose from a positive bacterial test from a bore and that which tests since have shown no bacterial contamination."

He noted that the toilets may get "considerably more" use now than in the past.

"Consequently, we have asked an engineer to review the toilets to determine whether upgrades are necessary."

Wooding said he had further concerns about the way the council conducted its test and he would not be using his bore water this summer because it still stank.