Whangārei’s Sunday library users lobby council to open doors again

Whangārei’s Brian Cox (left) and Greg Waite protesting outside the library's shut front doors on March 1, the first day of its Sunday closures. Photo / Susan Botting

Library campaigner Greg Waite says he’s disappointed in the council’s low-key response to his calls to reopen Whangārei central library on Sundays.

The Whangārei Chess Club organiser took his concerns about Whangārei District Council (WDC) closing the city’s central library in Rust Ave on Sundays to its March meeting on Thursday.

He told councillors that a decision on whether or not to close the library on Sundays should not be simply about visitor numbers.

The library has been shut on Sundays since March 1, when Waite and fellow chess club member Brian Cox staged a protest outside its closed front doors. It was opened in 2006 and has been open for about 1000 Sundays since, except for during the Covid-19 pandemic, Cyclone Gabrielle and public holidays.

Waite, who is a child poverty researcher, said Whangārei was not a wealthy city.

The library offered a free venue for the chess club, which met there on Sundays.

He believed closing the library for a day during the week, or two half-days, was a better alternative.

Sundays offered library visiting opportunities for families whose children played sport on Saturdays.

He believed the decision should be about who was missing out, rather than visitor numbers.

The city had to offer opportunities to people to get them to come to Whangārei after the four-laning of State Highway 1 between Auckland and Whangārei was completed, he said.

The central city lacked free and friendly spaces that were open seven days a week.

He called on the mayor, councillors and library staff and managers to look at other options.

Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper said at the council meeting that he valued Waite and Cox presenting their request, which would be attended to.

After the meeting, he said Waite’s concerns would best be dealt with through the 2026-27 draft Annual Plan consultation process, when councillors would weigh up competing funding demands.

Waite said he feared the council wasn’t going to give adequate consideration to his concerns.

He wanted councillors to worry more about the possible negative consequences of closing the best and most popular public space in the central city on a Sunday.

He urged ratepayers disappointed about the Sunday closure to put in submissions to the council’s draft Annual Plan process. These submissions close on Friday, April 3.

“I understand this wasn’t a final decision, that some felt more discussion was needed,” he said. “I’m asking the mayor and councillors, with their library staff and managers, to take another look at their options.”

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