Getting rid of the old long drop, Glen Elgin Hall trustees Ben Wirth, left and James Gresham, right, with Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall, who announced a $29,500 grant to upgrade toilet facilities at the hall.
Tuesday, 22 February 2022
A $29,500 funding flush for a new modern septic system at the Glen Elgin Hall will help the land managers consign the old long-drop toilet to the history books, with Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall today announcing the grant from the Crown Reserve’s Improvement Fund.
Mr Marshall said trustees were working on a plan to modernise the much-loved community asset.
“Between 1948 and 1963 Glen Elgin hall operated as the local school, and the land managers have done an incredible job preserving almost all the aspects of that era – including the long-drop,” Mr Marshall said.
“This day-and-age long-drops are getting the short shift as facilities transition to a more environmentally sustainable way of operating.
“The little building services a large range of community events, and the local Rural Fire Service brigade, and the long-drop is no longer adequate.
“This grant will cover the ground works and plumbing required to install the system, alleviating a considerable financial burden off the trust.
“The benefit of septic is they are low maintenance, have minimal impact on the environment and a long operating life.
“This means, depending on the system, once it is in place the trustees should get between 20 to 30 years out of it before it needs replacing.”
Mr Marshall said the upgrade would benefit campers, with Glen Elgin listed as a rest stop on the 5,330 kilometre Bicentennial National Trail.
“Stretching an extraordinary 5,330 kilometres from Cooktown in tropical far north Queensland to Healesville in Victoria, the National Trail is Australia’s premier long distance, multi-use recreational trekking route,” he said.
“Dirty Creek near Glen Elgin is included in section 7 of the trek, Killarney to Ebor, and intrepid travellers are known to pitch a tent at the hall as they explore the most scenic part of the trail.
“These halls have important value social and community value and I congratulate the trustees for the way they have maintained this charming facility.”