The Hurunui District Council is getting some hate over a painting on the side of the Cheviot public loos.

A public toilet mural has been deemed inappropriate by sexual abuse advocates, but local authorities encourage people to withhold their judgements until the work is finished.

The Hurunui District Council has fielded a handful of complaints after a photo emerged on Facebook of a painting on the female side of the Cheviot public toilets, in North Canterbury.

The image, posted on July 28, led many to believe the painting depicted girls with their knickers around their ankles.

Council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said they had received a "small number" of complaints about the mural.

"The nature of these concerns is that they think the mural shows 'little girls' in an unacceptable manner.

"We are asking these people to please wait until the mural is finished – the sketched legs to date may appear effeminate, however the final image is described as 'a colourful and humorous depiction of toilet stalls showing various types of legs and underwear' – this includes both men and women."

STACY SQUIRES/FAIRFAX NZ The mural has been described as "tongue in cheek", but some want it gone.

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The Cheviot Ward Committee had agreed on the mural image in consultation with the Cheviot Promotions Group.

The complaints would be considered by the ward committee at its next meeting on September 7.

FAIRFAX NZ The council urges people to wait until the mural is finished before passing judgement.

One of the complainants, Garth Rodger, said it was "mind-boggling" that a New Zealand council could allow such a mural in 2016, especially when the toilet block was opposite the local school.

"It's simply not clever or funny to paint images of girls and boys with their pants down on a public toilet.

"We all know what's going on inside the toilet. It doesn't need to be drawn on the outside for us."

On Thursday morning, the mural attracted a raft of photographs from passing tourists. A 'work in progress' sign was displayed above one stall image.

Hagar New Zealand operations director Sarah Scott Webb, whose organisation works with abused women and children, said the image was inappropriate, and helped feed sexualisation and objectification messages.

"It has the potential to put young women – and if men are going to be on it too – at risk. We know a lot of sexual assaults happen in public toilets.

"It feeds into this whole general message that our culture is perpetuating that this kind of tongue-in-cheek stuff is ok, when in fact it isn't."

START general manager Maggy Tai Rakena​ said the painting should be removed.

"I don't think it's as innocent as it looks."

Tai Rakena said the image could act as a trigger for those who had been sexually assaulted in toilets.

"It's less than helpful . . . We don't need it. There are other things to have fun with."