Why do government buildings not have toilets?.

[Teley]

:detective:I don't understand.........why do all big organisations have toilets for their clients......but not Centrelink or the Department of Housing? Do people who use these services not pee or something?

[Poppetfish]

Centrelink does have toilets just not for customers. I know that when i went in while pregnant with DD and I vomited everywhere, I got ushered into the toilet to clean up.:p

[missie_mack]

Because they don't want the responsibility of maintaining the toilets or cleaning them would be my bet

[Teley]

Centrelink does have toilets just not for customers. I know that when i went in while pregnant with DD and I vomited everywhere, I got ushered into the toilet to clean up.:p

Yeah I know that, I've used them myself! But I just thought it was common courtesy to provide people with public toilets....I may be spoiled, it's just that these are the only organisations I can think of off the top of my head that don't do this.

[Opinionated]

Oh I know. So annoying. I sat with 3 toddlers for just over an hour waiting for an appointment. Then one of them had to pee and when I came back I was meant to join the queue at the end. I kicked up a stink and got bumped back to my original place.

[MagicalLeopluradon]

It's annoying, often when I have been at Centrelink with DS he needs his nappy changed or a bottle heated....sometimes you can be waiting there for ages!

[BeatoNo3]

I dont kno bout some places but I kno our centerlink as public toliets, u have to ask them to open them all they do is push a button n u an go in n stuff there is a change table n everything... but i have been to some places where u think there would b toliets n there isnt...

[Teley]

I dont kno bout some places but I kno our centerlink as public toliets, u have to ask them to open them all they do is push a button n u an go in n stuff there is a change table n everything... but i have been to some places where u think there would b toliets n there isnt...

Well here none of the Centrelink offices have a toilet and not all of them are in very close promixity to a public toilet either. Same goes for the only office of Housing I've ever being at.

That is a good system though, I wish they had it.

[Pinkzy]

I dont kno bout some places but I kno our centerlink as public toliets, u have to ask them to open them all they do is push a button n u an go in n stuff there is a change table n everything... but i have been to some places where u think there would b toliets n there isnt...

:iagree: Same story with my local Centrelink too except there is just a female and male toilet - no change table or parent facilities though.

[Myztik]

I've used the toilets at centrelink several times recently, once for myself (dont think they would say no to a heavily pregnant woman lol), once to change my DS2's nappy and once when he needed to use the toilet and we were TTing.. I think you'll find under certain circumstances and if you are polite about it they are quite accommodating.. Although it was a bit weird knowing that she was standing outside the doors waiting for us so she could lock them again :p

[SassyMummy]

I know at least one of the Centrelinks I've been to has toilets. I dunno about the others because I haven't looked.

[Veritas]

The Centrelink offices I have been to locally also have amenities for clients....

[Teley]

Wow really. Strange that it's not like this in this area then:confused:.

Myztik - sure, I've used the toilets before. The Centrelink ones are if you ask politely, the Housing ones are only for staff although I've used them before too. I still don't understand why it's so lock and key though.

[Myztik]

Well look at a lot of toilets that are around for public use (shopping centers, train stations etc), they are filthy, there's cigarette butts on the floors, drug paraphernalia etc lying around, graffiti and whatever else.. I guess they are just trying to protect their property maybe? It does suck though that the actions of a few ruin it for everyone else.

[Amara]

At my centre link they have a sign up to say they have no public toilets and to use the ones at the shopping centre. Trouble is thats a five minute walk or more each way. With all the elderly and young kids that go there and the amount of time they make you wait they should have to have loos for us to use.

[Orris Apjoko]

I dont kno bout some places but I kno our centerlink as public toliets, u have to ask them to open them all they do is push a button n u an go in n stuff there is a change table n everything... but i have been to some places where u think there would b toliets n there isnt...

:iagree: there is toilets at my local centrelink and they push a button for you to go into the toilet area which has disabled toilets with a change table, female toilets and male toilets. They use to be open to everyone and they were filthy, there was needles everywhere and graffiti everywhere.

[Leeny]

There are no "public" toilets at our local centrelink either. I find it incredibly frustrating that a government building like centrelink that has SO much public traffic through it, does not have easily accessible toilet facilities. So many families, children, disabled people, pregnant women and elderly people have to use a centrelink office. I understand that some able bodied people can trek 5 or 10 minutes to the closest local shops to use the loo, and that it's just another space they have to clean, but seriously.. It's a public building. Put a couple of loo's in that people can use without having to ask.

[motherev2two]

No toilets in ANY of the ones here. They say to go to the shopping centres with are not actually that close if your busting to go or have kids or are an older person.

They have signs that say strictly no toilets and where to go I think it is about 10 mins or so from the main centrelink. The other about 20 mins once you get across the highway both times are walking.

I avoid going with the kids. I waited 15 mins and the lady three people infront was waiting a while to her ittle boy needed to go and guess what no exception the shopping centre is the nearest.

I felt sorry for her as she bused it in and had to stuff around getting there than going to the shops and coming back if she bothered for THEIR mistake

[katieinwa]

it all depends

because they don't sell food/beverage they aren't legally required to have toilets i think.

i am also pretty sure the govt don't actually own the buildings, just lease them. so would explain the hit and miss why there are some public available toilets in some places and not in others.

i work for a govt dept and trust me, they don't like to (or unable to) splurge on non-essentials

ETA - also think of the occ health safety issue as well, if i worked in a govt dept such as centrelink and the public were coming in to use the staff toilets, i would not feel safe.