The Southland District Council (SDC) is planning to build one of its most expensive toilets at Taramea Bay, Riverton.

The new shower/toilet facility is estimated to cost $620,000, a whopping $200,000 more than when the project was first proposed just over three years ago.

By comparison most of the council's new standard toilet facilities cost around $200,000 to $300,000, according to the SDC Long Term Plan.

SDC Mayor Rob Scott opens a new slide at Taramea Bay, Riverton, earlier this month (May). Photo: SDC/Facebook

The SDC's 2010 Te Anau pay-to-go toilet and shower block however remains its most expensive public ablution at $800,000.

It is hoped the new Riverton facility's location will not only save it from seawater, which regularly floods the existing block, but also ensure it becomes a key component in the council's master plan for Taramea Bay.