Long journey ends for beach toilets

TWO new public toilet units were lifted into position at Himatangi Beach on Monday after a carefully orchestrated operation that lasted about three hours.

The 17-tonne PremaLoo-designed units were positioned near the Himatangi Beach Community Hall after their arrival on two Mainfreight transporters from the manufacturing plant in Balclutha.

Dunedin truck driver, Pat Smith, said the three-day journey had gone without a hitch, though there were initial concerns about the units’ width when approaching road tunnels near Kaikoura.

Extra aluminium lifters for the unit’s six lifting points were needed before Gary Littlejohn of McIntosh Bros Cranes Ltd, Palmerston North, manoeuvred the 5.49 metre long units easily into position.

Manawatu District Council Property Officer, Peter Willoughby, was delighted with the outcome and said the prefabricated modular units would be a welcome addition to the village.

He said the toilets had been designed to provide local authorities with functional and vandal-resistant facilities that maintained high hygiene standards and were economical to maintain.

Each unit contained a changing room, two unisex toilets complete with hand washbasins and dryers, baby change table and an external shower.

Mr Willoughby said the toilets would become operational as soon as the service connections were finalised.