LOCKED OUT: Evans Street residents Heather Jenner and Michael Tinson near the toilet block that festival goers were unable to use.
Groovin the Moo festival goers were deprived access to a permanent toilet block in Evans Street turning the quiet suburban neighbourhood into “urine alley”, residents said.
Evans Street homeowners Michael Tinson and Heather Jenner said bus loads of revellers were dropped off at Evans Street and needed to use a toilet, but the amenities were behind a fence.
The sole queue to enter the festival was at the corner of Blomfield and Anzac streets and extended back to Evans Street, with ticket holders waiting an hour to enter.
Three portaloos were located outside the entrance, with lengthy lines for each, but no provisions were made on Evans Street.
Mr Tinson said several young people who were desperate to use the toilet approached him.
“Young girls were offering me $10 and $20 to use my toilet,” he said.
“I came out of my house at one point to find a group of young girls behind my parked car urinating.
“They were so embarrassed.”
The Mercury was unable to contact the promoter Cattleyard Promotions for comment.
Maitland Show Society president Trevor Hardes was contacted but refused to comment.
Mr Tinson supports the festival and said young people needed music events like it.
He said organisers had failed ticket holders and should have opened the gate on Evans Street and fenced around the toilet block to allow access to revellers before they joined the queue around the corner.
Mr Tinson said police fined two people $200 each for urinating in public but there were at least 100 who did it.
“Police did the best with the resources they had, but there should have been more of them,” he said.
“There were police with guard dogs, police on horses, and on foot, but we needed more of them on this street to stop them from urinating,” he said.
“One girl came up to me distressed asking if she could use my toilet; I told her to go down to the security guard at the Evans Street entrance to the showground and ask to use the toilet, but he refused her.”
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
Comment by
It is not fair that residents surrounding Maitland Showground were exposed to a spate of public urination during the Groovin the Moo festival.
But whose responsibility is an act of public urination?
Can Groovin the Moo be blamed for a drunken ticket holder’s behaviour on the way to their festival?
It is not the norm for a promoter to provide toilets beyond the borders of the venue they have booked.
Providing toilets inside the event is their responsibility and Groovin the Moo provided enough portaloos to avoid queues within Maitland Showground.
They also provided minimal portaloos outside the event, which is going beyond their responsibility.
The Evans Street toilet block is in a section of Maitland Showground that is not used by Groovin the Moo.
It is fair to assume that the young adults who urinated in Evans Street outside Groovin the Moo were toilet-trained during their upbringing.
They should have drawn on that training when waiting to enter the festival.
Intoxication is not an excuse.