By Luke Voogt
Campaigners have celebrated a win for “people power” after Geelong’s administrators voted to keep three libraries previously marked for closure open until June 2018.
Newtown’s Lynne Dowling said the campaigners’ “hundreds of hours of effort” and 6200 signatures had saved the libraries from the axe – for now.
“It’s been an enormous effort,” she said.
“Without objections from literally thousands of community members, Chilwell Library would be closing at the end of this week.
“They’ve been forced to listen because of ordinary people spending a lot of time and energy opposing what they see as an undemocratic and unjust decision.”
But Ms Dowling worried about the libraries’ future and said many residents had lost confidence in City Hall’s consultation processes.
“If they had consulted us in the first place before making the decision we wouldn’t have had to spend hours pouring over their documents and plans.”
Ms Dowling said the board of Geelong Regional Library Corporation lacked elected representation for the people living in the affected communities.
City Hall managers Kaz Paton and Brett Luxford currently serve on the board, along with councillors from Queenscliff, Golden Plains and Surf Coast Shire.
“All of which have retained their libraries despite two of (the municipalities) contributing significantly decreased contributions to their operating costs,” Ms Dowling said.
In Tuesday night’s meeting administrator chair Kathy Alexander admitted there had been a lack of community consultation before the decision to close Chilwell, Highton and Barwon Heads libraries.
The administrators based the original decision on a Geelong Regional Library Corporation’s recommendation.
Five reviews since 1999 found the libraries scored lowest in indicators like visits and loans per hour, according to the recommendation.
Dr Alexander said the libraries location in communities of “relative affluence” and not areas of highest need or growth also informed the decision.
“Newtown/Geelong West has a population of 20,000 people and two libraries, plus another three within three kilometres.
“Corio/Norlane, on the other hand, has a population of 24,000 people and only one library, with the closest neighbouring library seven kilometres away.”
Elected councillors will review the libraries’ fates in 2018.
