Robertson Park toilets finally approved but won't open until next year

Yet hours of debate, spread across several years, about where to put a toilet block in Robertson Park have taken place.

That all came to a head this week when Orange City councillors unanimously voted to approve a site.

The humble brick building, with a pergola front, will be built near Byng Street.

It is also close to the CWA Hall in the park that for much of the debate was seen as the likely site for the toilet block, but in the end it will be a standalone building.

With just one male, one female and one accessible toilet the little building is expected to cost about $300,000 to build.

Council staff told the meeting that allowing for engineering design work, a 40-day tendering process and a break for the Christmas holidays work was unlikely to start until next year.

Construction will take several months so it unlikely to see its first use until later next year.

Council's planning and development committee chair Cr Russell Turner described the moment as "historic" as he asked councillors to vote on the project on Tuesday night.

Mayor Cr Reg Kidd said he was now confident, with the unanimous vote, the toilet would finally be built.

Cr Kidd said he would be "bitterly disappointed" if any councillors tried to stop the project with a rescission motion.

He said the modified plan for the building was aimed at complementing the rest of historic Robertson Park.

"It fits in with the heritage of the park," he said.

Cr Kidd said the construction of the toilet might force council to move the Sir Neville Howse Memorial.

"That will depend on the architectural drawings," he said.

"The building may be too close to the Sir Neville Howse Memorial. If that was the case we would move it."

He said the most likely new home for the memorial would be at the other end of the part near the Cenotaph.

A report to the committee said the council's heritage adviser suggested all the memorials should be placed together, which would be at the southern end of the park.