By Andrew Monaghan (Access and Inclusion Officer – Community Services, Sport and Recreation – City of Moreton Bay)
City of Moreton Bay recently became the first local government in Australia to adopt a Changing Places network plan. Developed in collaboration with Cred Consulting, this plan will help guide the strategic planning and delivery of Changing Places facilities across our city for the next 15-20 years.
Changing Places are a larger accessible bathroom, fitted out with a range of specialised equipment including a ceiling hoist, peninsular toilet and adult change table, which provide safe and dignified access to public toilets for people with high-support disabilities. Without access to Changing Places facilities, people will resort to being changed on a bathroom floor, restricting their intake of food or fluids, remaining in soiled clothes, cutting a trip our short or not leaving home altogether.
City of Moreton Bay’s population is forecast to grow by 240 new residents a week for the next 25 years, reaching 800,000 residents by 2046 (ABC News). With 7.1% of our population identifying as requiring assistance with core activities, we also have a higher rate of people with disability than most neighbouring local government areas, Greater Brisbane (5.7%) and South-East Queensland (5.8%).
While the National Construction Code now requires ‘Accessible Adult Change Facilities’ (AACF) to be included within certain types of public buildings (e.g. large shopping centres, stadiums, swimming pools, large theatres, airport terminals, etc), they won’t be a mandatory requirement in areas where we know there is significant demand. For example, the NCC doesn’t require an AACF to be provided as part of a new all-abilities playground or at an accessible beach.
This network plan will guide both Council and other providers to meet future demand for these facilities. It aims to achieve a city-wide provision rate of between 1 facility for every 30,000 people and 1 for every 20,000 by 2041, which would require between 24 and 37 facilities. It also prioritises the delivery of Changing Places facilities across a range of destinations (e.g. parks and playgrounds, tourist destinations, aquatic and leisure centres, etc) which are already accessible and which our community have told us they want to be able to access.
This plan is also a call to action to all levels of government to understand and meet the need for access to Changing Places facilities in Australia. Since 2014, a total of 290 facilities have been delivered in Australia at approximately one facility for every 88,000 people. Victoria (133 facilities) and Western Australia (50 facilities) are leading the way, where dedicated state government grants have accelerated their delivery. However, despite making considerable progress since 2014, Australia is dwarfed by the almost ubiquitous presence of Changing Places in the United Kingdom, where there are now more than 2,450 facilities or approximately one for every 27,600 people.
A 2021 change to building rules in England now requires Changing Places facilities to be included within certain types of new public buildings. Furthermore, the UK Government has established a £30 million fund to install Changing Places in existing buildings. As a result, people with high support disabilities in the United Kingdom now have much greater access to public venues and services than anywhere else in the world. Australian planners and policy makers would be wise to look to the UK to understand how to meet demand for Changing Places so that people with high-support disabilities can fully participate in the social and economic life of Australian society.
