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Wednesday, April 17, 2024
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PRETTY IN PINK Ainslee Dowling and daughter Edi fully embraced the Ladies Day at the Moyhu Recreation Reserve last Saturday. The event sought to lift awareness about breast cancer and local services, in addition to raising funds. ■ STORY PAGE 19 PHOTO: Bailey Zimmermann
HELPING OUR HOMELESS YOUTH
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JUNIOR FOOTY SEASON KICKS-OFF Sport
Love for library Action ggroup p urges g support pp for f communityy hub in lead-up - p to state budget g
WANGARATTA community members have added their voices to Victoria-wide concerns over the possibility of funding cuts to public libraries in the forthcoming State Government budget. Members of the Wangaratta Friends of the Library Action Group met
BY SIMONE KERWIN skerwin@ nemedia.com.au
with Wangaratta state MP Tim McCurdy (MLA, Ovens Valley) at the Docker Street library on Thursday, where they discussed the potential funding issue, which has been flagged by Public
Libraries Victoria. “As has happened many times in the past, once again libraries are being threatened with funding cuts and are having to prove their worth,” action group spokesperson Jill Lindquist said. “It angers me that libraries are not recognised as a critical
part of the community now more than ever. “It’s quite frightening to hear talk of budgets being slashed, and it’s hard to know how much the government will cut the budget. “If it does happen, it then puts more pressure on council to make up the shortfall.”
Ms Lindquist spent 15 years working in public libraries, and said she had seen regularly over that time that libraries were required to justify their existence. “Libraries are an equaliser; they provide free services, everybody’s welcome, and the staff are very professional and
helpful - they offer lots of help above and beyond what they’re employed to do,” she said. “Our library is a real hub for the community, and has adapted to community needs, expanding and value-adding to its service, but is always being asked to do more with less. ■ Continued page 3
Faces of Small Business Learn more in this Friday’s issue.
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