Pissoir debate dismissed

The City of Sydney has dismissed the concerns of local businesses and residents over the location of the open air urinals on Oxford Street.

The topic was raised by Councillor Irene Doutney at Monday night’s after residents and business owners complained about the look of the urinals, their vicinity to local businesses and their potential to encourage homophobia.

Cr Doutney said: “Most of them were not opposed to urinals they are just asking to reposition them to less in your face positions.”

“[They are] outside cafes, restaurants and nightclubs, it would be unedifying for their business,” she said.

The open air urinals were open last weekend and were initially introduced to prevent drunken men from pissing on the street.

The 2010 Business Partnership said the public urinals cement the unfortunate image of Oxford Street being a place to trash and get trashed.

The Darlinghurst organisation said Oxford St already suffers from homophobic verbal abuse spat out from passing cars and opening the urinals would only further subject gay men to harassment.

Night time economy manager Suzie Matthews said there is no other location because of the requirements of the waste disposal.

Ms Matthews also argued for the success of the urinals as they received 230 litres of urine from 666 users just last weekend.

Stephen Gyory, a local business owner, said this is just another example of how Clover Moore and the City of Sydney are ignoring the needs of businesses on Oxford St.

“They don’t address the real issues. They just tinker with things that may make residents happy.

“If you stop pissing on the streets that’s fine. It doesn’t really matter Oxford St is a sewer anyway.”

Mr Gyory said no matter how many Darlinghurst businesses support or object to a proposal, Council won’t pay attention.

“A thousand businesses could have gone [to the Council meetings], nothing would have happened.”

“Council has abandoned Oxford St,” he said.

Mr Gyory said to revitalise Oxford St and other underused areas, the city needs to start advertising those places.

“They only advertise the CBD. They do not promote their villages. They need to start promoting villages around the events. That would be the first step.”