The Arboretum has announced new facilities with the construction of an accessible toilet at the popular Pod Playground.

“The construction of the new facilities at a cost of $216,000 is a further enhancement to one of Canberra’s increasingly popular destinations for local, national and international visitors alike,” a spokesperson said.

“Many of the 1.4 million visitors to the Arboretum over the past three years have spent time in the Pod Playground and the Arboretum has received regular requests for toilet facilities at the playground.

“The new toilet facilities, designed to be unobtrusive and in keeping with the design aesthetics of the Arboretum’s other buildings, will be single-access, unisex with wheelchair access. They will include family-friendly features, such as child size toilets and nappy changing facilities.

“When finished, these new facilities will make the playground more accessible to visitors outside of the main opening hours of the Village Centre (9am to 4pm), accommodating the large number of families who access the playground early in the morning or late in the evening.

“The part of the playground closest to the Village Centre, including the Pod entry gate, banksia cones and two sets of nest swings will be closed to the public from mid-March to June 2016 while the new toilet facilities are being built. Public access to the other areas of the Playground will remain open during this time.

“The closed areas will be clearly signed and fenced. The Arboretum apologises for any inconvenience to the public during the construction period, and asks for patience as we upgrade the facilities to support even better visitor experiences in the future.”