Council News WAGGA WAGGA CITY COUNCIL
FIRST PRINTED SATURDAY 6 DECEMBER 2014
Issue 23
Weekly information from us to you
NOVEL APPROACH: Riverina Regional Library Executive Director Robert Knight (left) with Library staff and community members at Friday’s Day of Action, which included a balloon release.
Library lovers speak volumes
Community supports Day of Action The community flocked to Wagga Wagga City Library on Friday to show their support for the vital service.
The Library took part in the statewide Day of Action, which highlighted community concern about declining State Government funding in the lead up to the March state election. Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Rod Kendall read to children as part of Storytime, while the Day of Action also featured the release of balloons and a cake decorated to show the gulf in library funding in NSW. The community was also urged to use their words to make a difference by
writing on special postcards to be sent to Member for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire. Cr Kendall read Where’s Spot, with the large group of children at Storytime helping the Mayor act out the classic picture book. As the community celebrated all the Library has to offer, Riverina Regional Library Executive Director Robert Knight said an increase in funding was needed to maintain services. “NSW’s funding is the lowest in Australia,” he said. “Local government bears most of the cost and to keep that pace is unsustainable. “We’re already seeing some attrition to services in the 368 public libraries across NSW, such as collection, staff and opening hours. This is symptomatic of the funding.”
Local government has had to fill the gap left in library funding, which is now just seven cents in the dollar – a drop from 23 cents in 1980. Since 1980, local government has increased its share from $5.43 per capita to $47.23. As a result, NSW has the lowest per capita rate of library funding of all states. The NSW public library network needs an initial funding increase of $3.5M to survive, with indexation to follow. This equates to less than one cent per person, per day. STORY TIME: Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Rod Kendall reads Where’s Spot to the children at the Library Day of Action.
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