The Victorian government enraged the Melbourne golf community last week with a particularly tough restriction. Now it’s been overturned.
The Victorian Government has backflipped on a controversial toilet ban that frustrated members of the Melbourne golf community last week.
Melbourne golf clubs welcomed guests back on Wednesday after the government allowed them and tennis courts to open for the first time in several weeks.
However, indoor areas of the clubs, including toilets, remained shut to patrons under the restrictive guidelines.
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The ban inevitably sparked outrage among the golf community – Royal Melbourne Golf Club captain Andrew Kirby called the restrictions a “joke” and a “breach of human rights”.
“I know the blokes can do a number one in the trees, but there are lots of women playing,” he said.
Meanwhile, Albert Park Golf Course resident professional David Diaz said the toilet ban was “quite ridiculous”.
Australian comedian Dave Hughes tweeted on Saturday: “How does someone in Vic Govt not go, ‘WTF? We can’t be this ridiculous.’ If golf courses are open, the toilets must be too. They really expect men and women to squat in the bushes at golf courses when all public toilets are open elsewhere?”
But on Sunday evening, the Victorian Government Health Department revealed it would overturn the controversial ban at golf clubs in metropolitan Melbourne from 11.59pm on Monday.
However, toilets facilities have to be cleaned twice a day and QR code check-ins must be used under the rule change. Clubhouses, change rooms and bistros will remain closed for the time being.
“These changes, which come into effect at 11:59pm Monday 4 October, mean toilet facilities can open while also keeping personal contact and authorised worker presence at outdoor recreation facilities to a hard minimum,” Victoria Health said in a media statement.
Speaking to reporters last week, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he’d asked the public health team to look into the toilet ban.
“That team works as hard as they possibly can,” he said.
“These directions are a good deal more complex than they might seem sometimes, but the good news is, there’s a query been raised, it’s being followed up, and, hopefully, there can be a positive response to that quite soon.”
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