Hunter Street Mall down the toilet

Retailers occupying GPT sites in the mall face the uncertainty of operating on monthly leases in deteriorating buildings.

Public toilets in the food court area have been out of order for 10 weeks and buildings in the GPT's Hunter Street outlets have leaking roofs, rotten floors. Store owners have buckets inside to catch water when it rains.

The only toilets available to customers are in Laing Street, underneath the Newcastle City Council parking station, which are only open between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday.

"If a family came in here to do some shopping and have something to eat on the weekend and needed to change a nappy they would have to go to the Brewery to do it," a shopkeeper said.

"The only toilets available at weekends are the [Newcastle] RSL Club, [Queens Wharf] Brewery and KFC."

Shoppers would need to be over 18 or in the presence of an adult to use the licensed establishments or wait until KFC opened at 10.30am.

A GPT spokeswoman said the company was working with contractors to rectify issues with the properties, including work on the toilets and some leaks which occurred during recent major storms.

"We are committed to ensuring our properties are adequately maintained," she said.

Employees at clothing and footwear retailer Rivers showed the Newcastle Herald where the ceiling was damaged by water and said it often came through the light fittings when it rained.

Occupants at Go-Lo, Estrada and Ice had problems with airconditioning and other stores said airconditioning had not worked for more than 12 months.

"Our airconditioning hasn't worked for ages and when we did turn it on water started leaking from it into the store," one store manager said.

GPT bought the two city blocks covering 18,254 square metres in 2008 and planned a $600 million development that was withdrawn in August last year.