PETITION TO THE TOWN OF VICTORIA PARK

To Mayor Karen Vernon, Chief Executive Officer and all Elected Members of the Town of Victoria Park:

We, the undersigned local residents, ratepayers, park visitors, and parents—representing both the broader community and the families of the Curtin University Junior Football Club —urgently request that the Council address the critical lack of clean, functional, and accessible public toilet facilities at Raphael Park.

This current state is unacceptable for any public space, and it is especially disappointing for a premier park located in one of the Town's most prominent neighbourhoods. The Town promotes core values of being Caring and Proactive, however, the poor maintenance of this facility contradicts those commitments.

Statement of Grievance

Raphael Park is a heavily utilised community asset. However, its public amenities completely fail to meet basic standards of public health, accessibility, and convenience. We ask the Council to review and rectify the following urgent issues:

Impact on Local Families: The Curtin Uni junior football (soccer) club alone brings approximately 300 local children and their families to the park over the winter period. Combined with daily playground users, hundreds of children are routinely left without clean or reliable restroom options. Other users groups including the dog obedience school and cricket club would suffer similarly, no doubt.

Severe Distance Barriers: The public restroom facilities are situated too far away from the primary children's playground and family picnic zones, creating an immense logistical challenge for parents, carers, and toddlers during toilet emergencies.

Unfair Burden on the Local Club: Because the public toilets are located near the clubhouse building, general park users (including daily dog walkers and parents) frequently complain directly to the football club. However, these amenities are entirely under Council jurisdiction; the club has no operational control over them and does not possess keys to the external public toilets.

Neglected Public and Internal Hygiene: Amenities consistently fall below acceptable cleanliness standards. Furthermore, essential services inside the clubhouse facilities—such as the regular replacement of sanitary bins—have been neglected for an extended period.

Years of Unresolved Complaints: Both individual community members and the football club administration have repeatedly contacted the Town of Victoria Park council over a period of years regarding these persistent toilet issues, with no permanent solution delivered. At the 2025 Vic Park Primary School faction carnival no less than 4 parents contacted the Town asking that the toilets be cleaned and stocked – no action was taking by the Town. Hardly Caring or Proactive.

General Accessibility Failures: The current infrastructure fails to provide inclusive, modern access, creating immediate barriers for senior citizens, individuals with physical disabilities, and parents navigating the space with bulky prams.
 

Our Request

We formally request that the Town of Victoria Park:

• Conduct an immediate, comprehensive hygiene, sanitary, and universal accessibility audit of all toilet facilities at Raphael Park.
• Allocate capital works funding to upgrade the infrastructure or install a strategically placed family-friendly toilet block modern (Exceloo type even) closer to the central playground area.
• Establish a rigorous, high-frequency daily cleaning and maintenance schedule to sustain acceptable public health standards.
• Ensure council contractors regularly service sanitary bins and manage public access keys appropriately.
  
  

By signing this petition, you confirm you are a resident, ratepayer, or regular user of the Town of Victoria Park facilities at Raphael Park.