Shelved: Library closure stalls as thousands sign petition
Gold Coast locals are pleading with their local council not to close the final chapter on their local library – with thousands signing a petition to save it.
A Queensland council has shelved its plans to close a local library – for now.
In a statement released this week, City of Gold Coast announced it would delay the closure of Burleigh Heads Library by “several weeks to ensure the continuity of services for the local community while Burleigh Waters Library is refurbished”.
“Burleigh Heads Library will now continue operating until the upgrade to the nearby Burleigh Waters site is completed in September,” the statement said.
Acting Mayor Mark Hammel said keeping the library open “a little longer” would ensure residents did not miss out on services.
“Libraries are vital community hubs and we understand how important they are to our residents,” he said.
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But while the library will remain open, it will operate at reduced capacity.
Opening hours will be reduced by 32 per cent; from 44 hours per week to 30. There will also be reduced collections and library services, and regular children’s library literacy programs will be replaced by two weekly arts activities at another venue.
Library members had previously been told services would be moved to the Burleigh Waters library – about five kilometres away – after the council decided to turn Burleigh Heads Library into an arts and creative hub.
That decision triggered widespread backlash from locals, with hundreds rallying outside the library to decry the plans.
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Thousands more signed a petition, which was tabled to council last night.
Local community member Linda Daley, who helped coordinate the Save Burleigh Heads Library campaign, told InDaily Burleigh Heads “deserves both library and arts services”.
“One community asset should not have to disappear for another to exist,” she said.
Daley said the petition also called on council to release the evidence underpinning the decision to close the library.
“Our petition of more than 3,000 signatures was formally presented and accepted by council in around 30 seconds before the meeting moved on,” she told InDaily.
“We have requested the utilisation analysis, business case, financial assessment, service planning documents and other reports repeatedly referred to in council correspondence, but none have been provided.
“We are asking council to demonstrate the evidence that supports reducing and ultimately closing what will soon become the only public library on the Gold Coast directly connected to the light rail network.”
Councillor Peter Young said the City of Gold Coast had sufficient funds to keep Burleigh Heads Library open.
“In a city with a budget of two and a half billion, I would think that we can afford to keep the Burleigh Heads Library open with city funds.”
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