A century-old fern garden in New Zealand closed this week, and officials say bathrooms are literally two minutes away

The Fernery, a building that has housed more than 60 varieties of fern at Queen Elizabeth Park in Masterton since 1924, was forced to shut temporarily this week after staff discovered multiple instances of human feces left inside. As reported by UPI, the Masterton District Council closed the site on Wednesday for a deep cleaning, with the goal of reopening by Thursday. The building was originally constructed by the Masterton Beautifying Society over a century ago.

The council shared the news publicly on social media, confirming the closure was a direct response to several recent incidents. “We’ve had several incidents recently of people defecating in the Fernery,” the post stated, calling it a public health hazard. Officials emphasized that the situation was both unacceptable and avoidable, given that public toilets are located just two minutes away inside Queen Elizabeth Park, with additional well-maintained facilities a few minutes away in the Central Business District.

A council spokesperson made the point even more plainly to 1News, noting that “this kind of behavior is completely unacceptable and disrespectful to other park users.” The spokesperson described the incidents as thankfully rare. The council confirmed it would contact police if the behavior continues.

Using a public building as a bathroom is more than just a matter of bad manners in New Zealand

The legal stakes are not trivial. Defecating in a public place is a criminal offense under New Zealand’s Summary Offences Act 1981, which covers a range of public order violations.

Section 32 of the Act specifically states that every person who urinates or defecates in any public place other than a public lavatory is liable to a fine not exceeding $200. However, a defense exists if the person can prove they had reasonable grounds for believing they would not be observed.

The Act covers everything from disorderly behavior to billsticking and the improper use of fireworks, giving councils significant legal backing to pursue repeat offenders. The Fernery is considered one of the top features of Queen Elizabeth Park and has stood as a local landmark for more than 100 years.

Amid other incidents of unexpected behavior drawing attention online, including a Reddit user who silently pocketed $5,400 found hidden in a late grandfather’s dresser rather than alerting family, the Masterton case tapped into a similar vein of bewildered public reaction. The council said its teams were working to have everything sanitized and the attraction back open as quickly as possible.

The council has taken a firm stance, and the threat of police involvement signals that any further incidents will not simply result in another cleaning. Officials have not named or identified any suspects at this stage.