Queenstown's most problematic toilets: 'Not a good look'

Queenstown Lakes District Council's problematic Earnslaw Park are back in the news, with one recent disgruntled user saying some of the toilet doors are broken - again. 

Crux has received a fresh complaint today from the Queenstown local who used the 10-cubicle facility yesterday (Sunday, December 10) at 4.22pm.

According to the user, two of the timber toilet doors were broken - one was missing a door completely, while another had a makeshift door.

She says she heard others using the facility commenting on the unsatisfactory state of the toilets, which are located in the heart of Queenstown beside Lake Whakatipu.

Her take on people's reactions: "It's not a good look is it?"

Another stall was "shockingly dirty and disgusting", with a detached toilet seat, and another, "filthy" but useable, despite signs on the outside of the building saying the facility was supposedly scheduled to have had a clean within the previous two hours.

There was a "massive queue" for the other remaining toilets that were clean and not broken. 

She says as a Queenstown ratepayer she was embarrassed. 

It's not the first time the toilets have come to the attention of Crux.

The block was built in 2013 at a cost of $580,000 and have undergone their fifth round of repairs in the past year. 

This time last year three of the doors were locked for weeks due to 'broken locks', while others had 'out of order' signs out the front due to broken hinges on doors.

At the time, the council's parks and recreation manager Adrian Hoddinott told Crux they had been "caught out" by the Earnslaw Park toilets. 

In January 2023, another two toilets were closed due to broken locks, and then in March, another stall underwent the same repairs.  

Then in August, another timber door on the Beech Street side was replaced.

Crux has approached the Queenstown Lakes District Council for comment on the latest reported faults as well as the cleaning schedule at the facility. 

Main image: Photos of the toilets at 4.22pm yesterday, sent in by a user.