The Hurunui district is getting five new public toilet facilities after a successful funding application.

We are pleased that the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has approved funding from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund for five new public toilets in the Hurunui!

New facilities are planned for Cheviot, Waipara and Hanmer Springs. They will also, thanks to MBIE, have their operating and maintenance costs covered for two years.

The purpose of the new toilets is to better provide for the travelling public and complement the network of existing ratepayer funded toilets around the district.

The Hurunui district is large, the seventh largest district in New Zealand, and yet its population is relatively small. With over 1600 kilometres of road, and an equally significant pipe network, the costs of infrastructure can fall heavily on our dispersed population. With visitor numbers continuing to rise, this funding fits perfectly with our goal that tourism continue to benefit, rather than burden, the ratepayer.

We already have an excellent network of rate payer funded public toilets, this funding will allow us to fill a few gaps and ensure tourists continue to enjoy the beautiful Hurunui district.

Our Chief Executive, Hamish Dobbie, has reiterated our thanks and said “tourism is a very important economic driver in the Hurunui district, but the burden of providing appropriate infrastructure can fall heavily on our small population base. MBIE funding through the Tourism Infrastructure Fund really assists our communities to ensure the visitor experience in our district is second to none”.

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