Bulla residents, along with visitors to its reserve and children’s playground, have no where to spend a penny when out and about in the township. The council demolished both its public loos years ago and hasn’t replaced them.
While being far from modern facilities, these glorified long-drops provided a place for those in a hurry.
Despite promises by Hume City Council to return what it took away, it seems nothing will be done to replace the loos for years. Council is developing an unfortunate trend of taking things away with no plan or budget to replace them. Think Sunbury’s George Evans Museum.
Toilets located in Bulla’s Trap St were demolished by council in 2018, and toilets at the Green St recreation reserve were pulled down a year later.
Cllr Jodi Jackson says: “The money that was previously allocated to the construction portion of the Bulla recreation reserve in Hume’s long-term capital works budget has been removed.
“There is now not a dollar in the budget before July 2034. The budget for the infrastructure works was, as council officers say, ‘re-profiled’. That means it was allocated to another project that has been prioritised above Bulla.”
According to council records, the Green St facility was pulled down due to “continued anti-social behaviour” in the loo. Council officers say it wasn’t safe for cleaning staff and so demolished it with the support of Cllr Jack Medcraft.
“I was responsible for having the original toilet block demolished because of the unsavoury characters that hung around there,” Cllr Medcraft said at a 9 March 2021 council meeting.
“That toilet block was only used for illegal activities. Very rarely did anyone go there. They have very little traffic that goes past it.”
Listen to the full Bulla public toilet debate, Hume City Council, 9 March 2021. (Source file)
According to the 2021 census, the population of Bulla is 668 (including 141 children). A petition with almost 300 signatures from Bulla locals was handed to then Hume City mayor Joseph Haweil in 2021 asking for the toilets to be reinstated. The estimated cost then was $300,000.
Council officers responded stating:
Toilets at a $670,000 tennis court pavilion – built in 2020 – can be used (when it is open)
Operators of the Bulla Miniature Railway have toilets (third Sunday of the month)
The Bohemian Market has portable toilets (third Sunday of the month, except for June and July)
Above: Built a year after council demolished public toilets in Bulla it found $670,000 for a tennis ‘pavilion’. It has a toilet, but is not open 24/7. Video / Hume City Council.
The council’s public toilet programme makes no mention of Bulla, and according to council’s 2024/25 budget (search: toilet) there’s just $405,000 allocated to the programme.
The budget document also shows it has earmarked almost $4m for grants and donations, has a surplus of $168m, no debt, and assets valued at $6.6bn.
Members of the Bulla Community and Action Group claim those enjoying its open spaces are regularly seen relieving themselves in bushes for want of a public loo. It appears removing Bulla’s public toilets has led to a different type of anti-social behaviour.
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