User charges to be reinstated at Tekapo public toilets

By Claire Taylor, Local Democracy Reporting

User charges are returning to Lake Tekapo's footbridge public toilets, a move the Mackenzie District Council says will help maintain tourist infrastructure in the alpine town.

The decision was made at the council's extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, following a discussion by councillors around the cost of upkeeping the facility and the success of other paid toilets in Tekapo's Hamilton Drive.

Reinstating the user charges at the footbridge toilets would support maintenance costs and assist the council in meeting it's annual income target, a report in Tuesday's agenda said.

The council's general manager operations and regulatory services, Neil Jorgenson, said, historically, pay to use toilets had required more maintenance and that was something the revenue would support.

"The system's not totally fool-proof, and it does fail from time to time so it does require more unplanned maintenance."

Users will soon pay between $1.50 and $2 (depending on payment type) to use the toilets near the Lake Tekapo footbridge.

Opuha ward councillor, and deputy mayor, Rit Fisher questioned the cost of reinstating the pay machines at the footbridge toilets.

Jorgensen replied saying it would be "relatively easy" to turn back on.

"There was no removal of kit from the site ... the minimal cost is just the electrician or the company to turn it back on."

Councillors unanimously supported the reinstating of the user charges, the decision moved by Pukaki ward councillor Frank Hocken and seconded by Fisher.

Toilet user charges for the Tekapo footbridge and Hamilton Drive facilities were initially introduced in the council's 2025/26 annual plan.

Jorgenson said charges at the Tekapo footbridge toilets were removed mid-2025, after the council ruled only non-urban facilities would be user-pays.

"Council discussed this matter and voted that main toilet blocks outside of the urban areas would be user pays and those within the 50km speed limit would not."

The Hamilton Drive facilities, constructed in July, sit outside the urban area and had maintained user charges.

The cost to use the Hamilton Drive toilets was $1.50 for electronic payments and $2 for coin payment. The charges generated about $25,000 in gross annual revenue.

The same charges would apply to footbridge facilities.

 - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.