Napier Council Proposes Two-year Library Closure To Limit Rates Increase

Saturday, 22 February 2025, 4:28 pm
Article: Linda Hall - Local Democracy Reporter

Napier City Council is proposing to shut the doors on its library for up to two years as part of its Annual Plan proposals.

It says the closure will keep the proposed rates increase for Napier ratepayers below 7.9%.

A new library is due to open in Napier in 2027, but in the meantime residents would have to travel to Taradale Library, about 8km away, if the proposal goes ahead.

Acting Mayor Annette Brosnan says at the heart of the Annual Plan is an acknowledgment that the Council has heard the community’s voice.

The temporary library is located at MTG Hawke’s Bay after the council moved out of the Library and Civic buildings in 2018 into alternative city offices following a seismic strength report found the buildings were well below New Building Standards,

A pamphlet handed out to library visitors says Napier residents saw a significant increase in rates this year of 19.5% on average and that it was the council’s wish that next year’s rate increases were less to reduce the financial burden on the community.

Napier resident Marilyn Perko was handed a pamphlet on a recent visit to the library.

“I said to the staff ‘I love this place’,” Perko said.

“A staff member replied ‘have you seen this’ and handed me the pamphlet.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me. It’s well used by the community and visitors, there are activities and a wonderful book area for children, somewhere quiet to use computers, photocopying and just a lovely place to visit and do research,” Perko said.

“To add insult to injury after the closure ‘it will become a book storage space’ and for those of us who reserve books online there would be ‘click and collect locations or the Taradale Library’.

Brosnan said the proposal is to temporarily close Napier Library in preparation for the new library’s opening.

“This would benefit Napier ratepayers by around $620,730. Other costs would be saved. For example, there are security arrangements that were introduced at Napier Library last year. Extra services will be introduced in the meantime, for example our mobile library van will visit more locations around the city.”

She said the new library is on time and on budget and is set to open in mid-2027.

“No decisions to close the library have been made yet and we’re interested to hear what people think about the proposal. It’s great to hear the community is getting engaged on this topic, but it’s important they know how to be heard.

“Full details will be in the community consultation which opens on 31 March. People must know that the Council can only formally consider their views through the submission process."

Another Napier residents Emma Merry, spoken to at the library on Friday, said she uses the library about twice a week, and t was “very disappointing” to learn of the proposal.

“I am fuming. I can see why the council wants to save money but I don’t think this is a good thing to do, I don’t think this is a good place to save money.”

She said two years without a central city library was too long - if it is limited to two years [for the new library to be built and opened].

”It is really disappointing and I’m feeling very cross about it.”

She said it would impact a lot of people.

”I think it is a fantastic resource and not only for readers but also for parents with kids and for people who need somewhere to go that is a neutral space, where they don’t have to interact with people if they don’t want to - it is a safe space.

”There are also heaps of [students] studying there right now.”

Merry said a lot of people don’t have access to a car which would effectively put Taradale Library - the next closest public library - out of reach unless they caught a bus.

She also expressed sympathy for the library staff, who did an “awesome” job but were facing an uncertain future.

She said she did not envy the job of councillors who want to keep rates down but, in her opinion, this would effectively remove a resource for many ratepayers.

Brosnan said rate increases were never easy for the community.

“Neither are discussions on changing the services we deliver,” she said.

“However, people told us we need to cut costs and get back to basics, and our response to their feedback is to make changes that will set us up for lower rates in the long term.”

The library is not the only Napier facility facing an uncertain future as the council looks for financial savings.

The consultation also includes potential new options for the National Aquarium of New Zealand, Napier iSite Visitor Centre, Par 2 Mini Golf and the Faraday Museum of Technology, plus an update on the exploration of commercial leasing arrangements for Kennedy Park Resort and Ocean Spa.

The Council’s preferred option for the Aquarium is to close it, demolish the building and build something cheaper to run.

It would also like to see a third party operating the Napier isite in a new location, and lease the building along with Par 2 Mini Golf.

The proposal for Faraday is to have it placed into a charitable entity. The charity would run it, with a one-off capital grant and ongoing yearly operational grants to help the museum cover its costs.

Brosnan says all the proposals would mean long-term rate reductions.

Napier’s annual average rates bill for 24/25 is $3,513.

The Annual Plan consultation opens on March 31.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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