25 May 2012

Options Still Being Considered For The Ngaruawahia Library

The Waikato District Council is continuing to examine options for a temporary home for the Ngaruawahia Library, a month after it was closed for safety reasons.

Ngaruawahia Library was closed by the council on 20 April after a structural engineering report showed some of the building’s walls had insufficient reinforcing, and were at risk of collapse in an earthquake. Since 23 April a temporary library facility has been operating out of the council’s head office in Ngaruawahia, where customers can have books issued and returned and make membership enquiries.

The library building on Jesmond Street will remain closed while the council investigates whether to undertake the necessary strengthening work to make it safe to reopen, or look at moving the library to a new permanent home, General Manager Stakeholder Relations Jo Ireland said.

“Once we have a better idea of the time and costs involved in the various options, we are expecting to consult with the Ngaruawahia community as to what best suits its needs,” Ms Ireland said.

Over the past month the council has also been investigating options for a temporary home for the library within Ngaruawahia, a process which may not be concluded for several weeks. The council needs to ensure any temporary location is suitable for its customers, staff and the library collection, with lease terms that are suitable for the council’s requirements. The council is in discussions with building owners within Ngaruawahia, but no comment can be made about this process while negotiations are ongoing.

The council appreciates that the library is an important community facility and that the building’s closure is having an impact on Ngaruawahia, Ms Ireland said.

“It’s unfortunate that the community has been put in this position; however we are conscious that now we are here we need to take time and make the right decisions. We are asking the community to continue to be patient. This process is taking more time than we would like, but we are doing everything we can to restore full library services to Ngaruawahia,” Ms Ireland concluded.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly is wrong with the building?
The original library building was built in 1956, and then added on to between 10 and 20 years later. The original building is considered to have mostly sufficient strength, however the extension was built with concrete blocks with a minimum of reinforcing, and these would need to be demolished and rebuilt. As a result of the building meets only 25 per cent of the structural strength required under the Building Act, less than the minimum of 33 per cent.

What will happen to the library?
A full range of options are being examined, ranging from strengthening and rebuilding the existing structure through to demolition. The council is also investigating alternative sites around Ngaruawahia to house the library temporarily.

How long has the council known about this issue?
In early 2012 the council commissioned a report on the library building from a structural engineer. After the results of the report were analysed with the engineer, it was concluded in April that the building faced a risk of collapse in the event of an earthquake.

What library services are available in Ngaruawahia?
A temporary library facility with reduced capacity has been established in the reception area of the council’s head office on Galileo Street.

A library staff member is available to receive returned books and issue books that have been reserved on the Internet between Monday and Friday. A computer is also available to browse the online catalogue. Reserved books that are available can be collected at the Ngaruawahia office the following business day. No magazines or newspapers are available to be issued.

An alternative internet service is available from the Computer Consultancy Internet Café at 29 Jesmond Street. Users need to show their library card and will receive 30 minutes of free internet use.

What has happened to the library staff?
The five staff, a mix of full and part time, have been redeployment within council.

Are any other libraries affected?
The other Waikato district libraries are continuing to operate as normal and books issued from the Ngaruawahia library can be returned to any site.

Is the library the only quake prone council building in the Waikato district?
In line with the directive from the Government, the council is investigating three of its buildings which were built before 1935 across the district. Investigations on the other two buildings are continuing, and we hope to be in a position to finalise and report on these as soon as possible.

What will it cost the council to do this?
The council has not yet determined what the final costs involved in this process are at this stage.

ENDS

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