Dunedin is set to become the latest place in New Zealand and the first in the South Island with a fully accessible Changing Places bathroom.

Construction of a new public toilet featuring a Changing Places bathroom will start next week. As well as the Changing Places bathroom, the facility will feature two other public toilets – one standard and one ambulant – to replace the existing toilet block near the railway walking overbridge. The location was chosen in collaboration with the disabled community and advocates based on its close proximity to town and ease of access.

The Changing Places bathroom will be a first for Dunedin and the South Island. Changing Places bathrooms are designed for those with complex care needs who are unable to use standard accessible bathrooms or public toilets. Key features of a Changing Places bathroom include a height adjustable toilet and hand basin, privacy screen, built-in hand support grab handles, and a change table that doubles as a shower bed. There is also a ceiling track hoist system enabling individuals to move safely around the bathroom and provide support for caregivers.

Work is scheduled to start next Monday, 26 January, depending on weather conditions, and is expected to take about four months to complete. The former toilets at the railway overbridge will be decommissioned while the new facilities are built, however there are still plenty of public restroom facilities available for use nearby including at the Railway Station, Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, Queens Gardens, and at the central city bus hub.

There will be some landscaping and road works surrounding the construction site to make way for a drive-in mobility park to make it easier for wheelchair users to safely disembark from their vehicles.

The inside of the Changing Places bathroom will feature a bespoke art wall featuring images inspired by Dunedin’s heritage and environment. The exterior of the bathroom is designed to be in-keeping with the surrounding heritage environment.

Because of the specialist features of the bathroom, access to a Changing Places unit is limited to members registered with Changing Places New Zealand via a key card. These key cards can be obtained for those with complex care needs and severe disabilities by applying online.

The project is expected to cost about $750,000 which includes facilities, construction, specialist equipment as well as infrastructure connections and installation. An archaeological assessment of the area determined there was unlikely to be anything of historical significance in the ground, however archaeologists will still be on site while the development is underway to monitor for any subsurface infrastructure or artefacts.

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