MEDIA RELEASE
Ruapehu District Council

Library Relocation Gets Final Approval

Relocation of the Taumarunui library from Hakiaha St to Ruapehu District Council’s (RDC) main service centre building on Huia St is underway following sign-off of the final relocation plans.

RDC voted unanimously in favour of the plans which will see the Taumarunui library relocated to Huia St by May next year.

RDC Group Manager Customer Services, Pauline Welch, said that this was a very exciting time for the future of library services in Taumarunui.

“Compared to Hakiaha St the new library space will have a larger floor area bathed in natural light along with allocated areas for children and internet access.”

“Library staff will have access to a greater range of resources such as more staff when needed and being able to use the council chamber for school holiday and other programmes.”

Ms Welch said that the relocation project will take place in three distinct phases over a period of around nine months.

“The final ‘big shift’ of all the books, computers and other things from Hakiaha St to Huia St is scheduled to take place over Easter next year (April 2014).”

“Council staff will need some flexibility and patience as building and reconfiguring takes place around them, however, council customers shouldn’t notice any difference to current services at either the library or the Huia St office,” she said.

“Although consideration had been given to relocating i-SITE operations to the vacated library on Hakiaha St council resolved to look at the future of the i-SITE as a standalone issue.”

“With the growing importance of Tourism to Taumarunui, and the lease between council and KiwiRail for the i-SITE space due to expire in a couple of years with no right of renewal, this is an issue council and ratepayers will need to consider sooner rather than later.”

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