The permanent, public toilet that will be installed at the Kiewa River Trailhead off Embankment Drive in Mount Beauty is on track to be available for use by late May.
The toilet will be a single, unisex, accessible toilet with baby changing facilities, as well as an external drinking fountain and bottle fill station.
Importantly, this toilet will be connected to all utilities, including power, water, and sewerage.
Alpine Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, acknowledged the journey it has taken to get here, for both Council and the communities of the Upper Kiewa Valley.
"The original project, as put forward through a community budget submission in 2022, was for a composting toilet at the trailhead of the Kiewa River Trail," she said.
"However, further investigation by project officers and feedback from a Land Capability Assessment revealed that a composting toilet was inappropriate due to the location being so close to the river in a flood-prone area."
Cr Nicholas explained that the decision was made to install a facility that was connected to all utilities so that the toilet could remain in the same location.
"Whilst this decision required additional funding, it was clear that this area needed an accessible public toilet," she said.
"This involved extending the town water and sewer lines to the new facility, as well as completing required electrical works to ensure that the toilet will have access to power."
Cr Nicholas also acknowledged the progress being made on the public toilets in Tawonga South.
"We have committed to scoping the project in this current 2025/26 financial year, with delivery planned for the 2026/27 financial year," she said.
"We received positive feedback about the temporary toilets placed near the site over the 2025 winter season and will look at this as another temporary solution during this upcoming 2026 season."
The public toilets at the Kiewa River Trailhead will be open for use in late May.
For more information, visit https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/kiewa-valley-trailhead-public-toilet