Changing Places Toilets in Western Sydney

For a lot of families, the question that decides whether you can go out for the day is not the venue. It is whether there is somewhere safe to change an adult. This page lists every Changing Places facility within about 30 kilometres of Blacktown, taken from the national register, with the hours and key rules the register publishes.

What is a Changing Places toilet?

A bathroom built for people who need help from one or two carers. It has a height adjustable adult change table, a ceiling hoist, a peninsula toilet with room on both sides, a privacy screen and more floor space than a standard accessible toilet. A standard accessible toilet has grab rails and a wider door. It does not have a change table or a hoist, and for many people that is the difference between going out and staying home.

Why do new shopping centres have one and older ones do not?

Since 1 May 2019 the National Construction Code has required an accessible adult change facility in certain new buildings: shopping centres designed for 3,500 or more people, sports venues for 35,000 or more spectators, public swimming pools with a perimeter of 70 metres or more, museums, galleries and theatres for 1,500 or more patrons, and airport terminals. The code calls them accessible adult change facilities and the design follows the Changing Places standard: a hoist, an adult size change table and a peninsula toilet in one room. That is why newer buildings like Powerhouse Parramatta have one, and why an older centre or club built before 2019 often does not. The rule only applies when a building is built or substantially refurbished, so it will take years for coverage to catch up.

Which Changing Places toilets are closest to Blacktown?

Distances are straight line from Glendenning, so a drive will be a bit longer.

Facility	Suburb	Distance	Access
Blacktown Disability Sports Centre, 81 Eastern Road	Rooty Hill	3 km	Bookable space. Nominal hours 5pm to 9pm weekdays. Ring first.
Westpoint Blacktown, Level 1	Blacktown	5 km	Centre hours
Westpoint Blacktown, Level 3	Blacktown	5 km	Centre hours
Wawai Ngurra playspace, Nurragingy Reserve, Knox Road	Doonside	2 km	Confirmed by Blacktown City Council. Not yet on the national register map, so check the hours with Council.
David Currie Amenities Building, 86C Melville Road	St Clair	10 km	24 hours, MLAK key
Gipps Street Recreation Precinct, 34 Gipps Street	Claremont Meadows	10 km	6am to 10.30pm daily, MLAK key
Stockland Wetherill Park, 561 Polding Street	Prairiewood	13 km	Centre hours
Children's Hospital at Westmead, Wattle Building	Westmead	14 km	24 hours, MLAK key
Children's Hospital at Westmead, main building	Westmead	14 km	Swipe pass from Security or the front desk
City Park, 1 Allen Place	Penrith	15 km	7am to 8pm daily, MLAK key
Powerhouse Parramatta, 34 Phillip Street	Parramatta	16 km	9am to 9pm, seven days
Regatta Park, 7 River Road	Emu Plains	17 km	24 hours, MLAK key

Further out, the register also lists Whitlam Leisure Centre in Liverpool, Bankstown City Gardens, Majors Bay Reserve and Concord Hospital in Concord, Warragamba Civic Park, Dawson-Damer Park in Oran Park and The Canopy in Lane Cove. All are between 20 and 30 kilometres away.

How do I find one when I am already out?

Two maps, both free. The Changing Places register lists facilities built to the standard, with hours, key rules and a contact for each one. The National Public Toilet Map, run by the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, covers every public toilet in Australia and can be filtered for MLAK access and adult change facilities, which makes it the better one when the nearest Changing Places is too far and you need the next best thing. Both work on a phone. Before a day out, look up the two closest facilities to where you are going and save them, because mobile reception in a car park is not the time to start searching.

What is an MLAK key and how do I get one?

MLAK stands for Master Locksmiths Access Key. One key opens every MLAK lock in Australia: most 24 hour Changing Places toilets, many accessible public toilets, and the Liberty Swings in parks. You buy it once from Master Locksmiths Association of Australasia. You need to show you are eligible, which for most people means a letter from a doctor, a disability organisation, or an NDIS plan. Expect to pay between $30 and $45 and to wait a week or two for the post. If you are planning a day out at a park with a 24 hour facility, get the key first. Without it the door stays locked.

What should I check before going?

Three things. First, hours: a shopping centre facility closes when the centre does, and the sports centre is only open when it is booked. Second, the key: if the register says MLAK, bring it. Third, whether the hoist sling is provided. Most facilities expect you to bring your own sling. If you are not sure, ring the venue. The register lists a contact for most of them.

On the sling: hoists in public facilities are usually ceiling track hoists with a loop style spreader bar. If your own sling was made for a mobile hoist with clip attachments, it may not fit. Check the sling type against the hoist before you rely on it, and if you are unsure, ask the venue which hoist brand is installed. Ask your occupational therapist if you need a second sling for outings.

What to pack: the sling, continence products, wipes, a change of clothes, a bag for soiled items and hand sanitiser. Most facilities have a bin and a hand basin but not always paper towel or a bag hook, so a backpack that can sit on the floor is easier than a bag that needs hanging.

What if a facility is broken or locked?

Report it to the venue on the day, and to Changing Places through their website so the register gets updated. If you find one that is not on this list, tell us and we will check it and add it.

Where this information comes from

Every fact above was checked against one of these on the date shown at the top of the page. If something has changed, tell us and we will fix it.

• Changing Places national register (find a facility)
• Blacktown City Council: Wawai Ngurra inclusive adventure playspace
• Master Locksmiths Association: MLAK
• National Construction Code 2019, clause F2.9: accessible adult change facilities
• National Public Toilet Map, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing

Questions about Changing Places toilets