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Council forks out $400k on toilets for tourists flocking to Instagram photo spot

An influx of snap-happy tourists eager to take the perfect Instagram shot has forced Perth council to shell out $400,000 on a set of new public toilets to cater for the growing crowds.

The Crawley Edge Boatshed, 4km southwest of Perth’s CBD, has become so popular with visitors, the City of Perth has decided to build a toilet block given the lack of facilities nearby.

“There has been an increase over the past few years of visitors to this area, with tour buses as well as self-driven visitors stopping here for photo opportunities,” minutes from the City of Perth’s most recent Ordinary Council Meeting said.

The council noted the nearest public toilets were over 2.4km away and that a nearby restaurant had made several complaints after visitors flocked to the establishment to relieve themselves.

“The construction of the proposed facility, with appropriate signage at strategic locations, will allow visitors to the area the respite they need,” the council said.

City of Perth revealed the eventual cost of the toilets, which will be the first solar-powered facility of its kind in WA’s capital, is $400,000 plus an additional $20,000 a year for upkeep.

The Instagram geotag for the shed is filled with thousands of photos at the site. Source: Instagram
The Instagram geotag for the shed is filled with thousands of photos at the site. Source: Instagram

The tourist attraction’s geotag on Instagram reveals the true extent of the interest in the iconic location that wouldn’t look out of place in a Wes Anderson movie.

Thousands of posts show the shed taking centre stage as tourists strike their best poses in the foreground along its narrow jetty.

“We may or may not have stood in a “queue” for 30 mins to take piccies with this little blue boat shed,” one caption read.

While the toilets are the first step in easing the issues created by the growing crowds, the shed’s location on Mounts Bay Road, one of Perth’s major thoroughfares, may prompt council to take further action at controlling congestion at the site.

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