LOXTON’S library could be demolished to make way for the new public toilets as part of a council building reshuffle.
The demolition could see Loxton’s old council chambers become the new home of the library and visitor information centre.
At last week’s draft budget public consultation meeting, Loxton Waikerie Mayor Leon Stasinowsky said council was investigating options to construct new public toilets and provide a bigger and purpose-built location for the library and visitor information centre (VIC).
“If we want to put the toilets in the ideal spot, it would be to knock the library/VIC down,” he said.
Currently, the public toilets are located within the same building as the library and VIC.
The original location for the new toilets was on the roundabout side of the existing toilet and library building.
“If you have them (where the current library is), you don’t have to knock down the big trees and take any lawn areas as that is the other side of the septic system,” Mr Stasinowsky said.
Council merged the library and VIC in 2019 and copped community backlash for its lack of space.
Mr Stasinowsky said if the library and VIC were to relocate to the old council chambers, the building would undergo major works to also include meeting rooms and archive room to preserve Loxton’s history.
Council relocated to a new office on Bookpurnong Terrace earlier this year as unsafe levels of mould were detected within the East Terrace building, also the town’s original institute.
Mr Stasinowsky said council is committed to relocating the library and visitor information centre.
“We are out there asking for grants,” he said.
“Our aim is to get the old council building fixed up.”
Meanwhile, in July last year, Loxton Waikerie council allocated $685,000 for the new public toilets.
Mayor Stasinowsky said he hopes the new toilets – which have been discussed since early 2018 – would be completed in the coming financial year.
“It may mean we have to shift the library temporarily, which would be a fair cost as well,” he said.
Council CEO David Beaton said council would know within the next two months if grant funding requests had been successful.
The Loxton Institute and former council office building in East Terrace is state heritage listed.
However, Mr Beaton said works to the building were still possible to make it suitable for a joint library and visitor information centre.