Fight to stop library cuts

Opponents of plans to close Tauranga's mobile library service are rallying for their first protest tomorrow – less than a year since winning a previous battle to keep the book bus.

Friends of the Libraries campaign organiser Kate Clarke is expecting a good turnout for the protest at the Tauranga City Council's first draft annual plan open day at Greerton Village Square on Thursday.

Tauranga Library Friends campaign manager Kate Clarke with mobile library supporters Gwenda Russell and Alexis Attrill and Kelly Hope with daughters Hannah, 2, and Rachel, 1. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

The library campaigner, who spearheaded a two-year campaign to save the service last year, is urging all concerned readers to join the group from 4pm, in hopes a vocal response will get council to listen.

'We just want people to come down and be a strong presence and voice their concerns about these cuts.”

Kate is predicting a tough fight for council and says plans to close the book bus, in Council's draft annual plan, to pay for increased staffing at the expanded Greerton library is unacceptable.

'It was only last June that we had the mobile library guaranteed under the level of service policy. That was hard fought for and we don't want to go below that again.”

Under the level of service policy the council committed to provide a library service with a collection of 2.6 books per head and a mobile service.

In January councillors voted to include the $3.5 million replacement library in the annual plan on the basis the expansion does not add to ratepayer debt, with plans to fund building work from asset sales.

But it is the council's decision to fund the operations from the existing libraries budget that has prompted the Friends to call for a top-up in funding she estimates will only cost $2 extra in rates per property.

'That's what we would like to see,” says Kate, who believes plans to replace the mobile library with a revived service for the homebound will mean many people still lose access to the library.

Under the draft plan the mobile library service will stop from July, with the $126,000 in annual funding going to cover $40,000 to revive the housebound service and $60,000 for increased staff at the expanded Greerton Library.

'For the amount of money they are saving against the value it is offering it just makes no sense. For $100,000 it becomes a nonsensical argument, why would you build a library if you can't operate it properly?”

Kate is already receiving strong public support for her suggested $2 rates rise, with people asking her how they can pay their $2.

'Hopefully there will be a big enough outcry that they'll have to listen.”

The group will continue the campaign at the next council open day at Bayfair Shopping Centre next Saturday, April 5 from 11am-2pm.

Tomorrow's open day runs from 3pm – 6pm.

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20 comments

Surely we have to live within our means

Posted on 26-03-2014 13:08 | By Annalist

Although such a simple fact doesn't seem obvious to some of the constant want this and want that brigade. With a good bus service, a mobile library is unnecessary. With changing ways in which most of us get our knowledge and reading (internet and e-readers) an expensive library upgrade is unnecessary. The current level of library is quite ok.


Worst library in NZ

Posted on 26-03-2014 13:30 | By jed

"Mrs Clark said Tauranga's library services were among "the worst in New Zealand" and could not cope with more cuts." I've lived overseas, and in Auckland/Wellington. Tauranga library is the worst of had the misfortune to use. I don't use the library now. It is probably not the staffs fault so much , but the council.


A couple of things here...

Posted on 26-03-2014 13:39 | By morepork

1. $100,000 in the scheme of things is definitely not too much to retain this service. It is a very good point that a library should not be built if you can't afford to run it, but the new library is funding itself, and the overall operating costs are not beyond us. 2. The load on ratepayers (I am one) is more than it should be if we were fair and just. Non-ratepayers enjoy the benefits of living here just as much as ratepayers do. The load could be spread more equitably if we adopted a Council tax on heads. It would also be a much lighter load for all concerned. Personally, I will gladly pay $2 to support this, but I shouldn't have to, and I wouldn't have to if the taxation was not limited to property owners. Fairness for ALL!


Rastus

Posted on 26-03-2014 13:39 | By rastus

I for one would like to see the mobile library service terminated. We are already paying heaps to keep the bus service going and these people who want to use our very good library can easilly hop onto one of the yellow fleet and access the main library with all its books and services. Those who protest at the termination are living in the past - these services were introduced when there was no public bus services to speak of and many households did not have transport available - there is no excuse today - specially when one considers how much we are subsidizing these under utilized bus services


Think about it

Posted on 26-03-2014 14:48 | By spencerb

I am sure you people mean well but have you stopped to think about the future. I can see a time in the not too distant future when we will have all dragged ourselves into the 21st century and will be reading electronic books. If this is correct then we shouldn't be wasting money on huge barns full of books which will ultimately become redundant.


Better plan

Posted on 26-03-2014 15:15 | By YOGI BEAR

Keep the bus, close Greerton, Mount and Papamoa, save $10 million and pay the $126,000, in fact why not have 2-3 the cost will be a fraction of now and we all get a cheque refund ex TCC for money not needed any more.


Annalist

Posted on 26-03-2014 15:24 | By YOGI BEAR

maybe it is the staff sir, the libraries have some 95 staff + volunteers. There is more than enough people running around the place apparently. But for example at Mount/Papamoa/Greerton you at best will see 2-4 staff each, in the CBD perhaps 5-6. so where are the other 80 odd residing, certainly not on the floor doing any useful work. There is $4m a year spent on wages alone and the cost to ratepayers is close to $8m a year now, this is way over the top. The old saying of "less is more" very much applies here.


Elderly users

Posted on 26-03-2014 16:05 | By MrsT

This is the main way many of our elderly residents are able to borrow books from the library and i know they look forward to being able to use this service. To cancel it would do these lovely mainstays of our community a big diservice. i hope it can be saved for them.


Even

Posted on 26-03-2014 20:53 | By Capt_Kaveman

though im in support of a re new of Greertons library building, The mobile library was always a bad idea due to cost and again a nice have, but again we have a great bus service and seniors need to get out n about.


Pay for it

Posted on 27-03-2014 09:57 | By Chris

Everyone wants the library, no one wants to pay for it. Tauranga, it's a decision we need to make - pay more rates or sacrifice more decent public services. You simply can't have your cake and eat it too.


It's priorities and integrity of rate use

Posted on 27-03-2014 11:30 | By Murray.Guy

Chris comments that 'every has wants, but nobody wants to pay'. Certainly true and increasingly so as our society develops a 'hand out' mentality. Funding traditional and core services doesn't always mean a rate increase. I suggest ratepayers look more closely at what the Mayor and Council are spending your rates on, what assets you own that could be better utilized. For example, the community has land at Sulphur Point for marine related activities. The Marine sector are willing to champion this activity and seek only a 'can do attitude' from Council. TCC refuses and insists on managing it themselves, using $5 million plus ratepayer input and a rates subsidy in perpetuity. Is this why you pay rates? Why not let the Marine Industry manage 'their industry'? Are the provision of library and related services a valid activity of Tauranga City Council? Folk need all the facts!


I think some of the arguments are silly

Posted on 27-03-2014 12:05 | By Annalist

Tauranga already spends about 6 or 7% of its rates on libraries. We should learn to live within our means. The old just another $2 a person a year is flawed. $2 for this that and the other thing can all add up to unaffordable rates of thousands of dollars a year. The emotional argument about the elderly using it is also flawed. I'm elderly and if I can get out of the house and onto a mobile library bus I can also get on board a public bus and go to town. I see far more elderly people using the real library than the mobile one. Savings need to be made in many areas and the library is just one of them.


library

Posted on 27-03-2014 13:39 | By sangrae

Get rid of 9 of the approx 94 staff and you save approx $300,000.00. Library bus saved elderly people happy and leaves $200,000.00 for upgrades each year, makes sense?


Sangrae

Posted on 31-03-2014 08:38 | By YOGI BEAR

Sounds better that the 84 that no one ever sees vanish, save $8m and keep the bus service. How easy is that!


Whats in a bus?

Posted on 31-03-2014 17:33 | By YOGI BEAR

A whole lot less staff that the hidden away corners of some building built with all manner of officials concealed out back somewhere.


Murray Guy

Posted on 01-04-2014 13:33 | By Fonzie

You were part of the council your statement that council has community land won't be valid for long will it? They are flat out giving it away to Maori and you were part of that


Central library

Posted on 08-04-2014 08:35 | By YOGI BEAR

and a couple of buses would be the idea. that would drop staff number a lot, after all wages are over 50% of the total cost to ratepayers of running libraries, then to only way to save money is reduce numbers.


Library and Pools cuts

Posted on 11-04-2014 12:43 | By YOGI BEAR

No worries folks the Mayor will have a new $300k gofa sitting next to him, that is what all the savings are about right.


No rate savings?

Posted on 23-04-2014 16:45 | By YOGI BEAR

Looks like business as usual folks, expect the same old torture of ratepayers with massive bills and some.


Library spending increases

Posted on 24-04-2014 18:34 | By YOGI BEAR

The TCC spending has rocketed over the last few years ... the bus service is great and is minor in the whole picture.


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