Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui library hubs ask for Whanganui District Council help

Laurel Stowell
By Laurel Stowell
Reporter·Whanganui Chronicle·
28 May, 2020 05:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Deputy Mayor Jenny Duncan opened the Rangiora St Library in May 2019. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Deputy Mayor Jenny Duncan opened the Rangiora St Library in May 2019. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Whanganui's two newest library hubs are asking for more council support and say they may have to close without it.

On Wednesday Jane Bilderbeck, who manages the Hakeke St Community Centre and Hakeke library hub, made a submission to the Whanganui District Council's annual plan on behalf of that hub and the one in Castlecliff's Rangiora St. Both opened last year.

The Hakeke St hub in Whanganui East is run by volunteers and has at least 600 people through the door each month, she said. There are costs to running it, including rent, insurance, power and consumables.

Covid-19 has made the grants and donations the centre relies on harder to come by. Bilderbeck said she had expected more ongoing help from the council and the Whanganui District Library.

The council's budget allows $50,000 a year from 2018 to 2022 for library hubs, with the aim of improving service levels. The existing hub operators said they understood it is unlikely that another library hub will be set up in the 2020-21 rating year. They are asking for some of the $50,000 budgeted this year to keep them going.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The only issue I have is the sustainability of it. Our focus is on making sure that this doesn't fall over," Bilderbeck said.

Some of the money could also be used for a study of the hubs' impact and the steps needed to ensure their sustainability.

The library hubs align well with the council's leading edge strategy, Bilderbeck said. At Hakeke St adults have used the hub to embark on new study and start study groups.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Volunteers who are new immigrants use their time there to practice speaking English, and being there makes them feel part of the community. Some have set up a regular mahjong group, others teach Pasifika dancing.

The Whanganui District Health Board holds whanau information sessions at the hub.

Both hubs operate in "vulnerable communities", Bilderbeck said. They act as co-ordinators of welfare.

"We are asking you to believe in that and partner with us," she told councillors.

Discover more

Education

When school becomes home

17 Apr 05:00 PM

Books are back: South Taranaki library users get 'click and collect'

22 Apr 05:00 PM

Fred Frederikse spends a delightful day in Tawa

13 May 05:00 PM

Reading pays off for Scottish-born philanthropist

24 May 05:00 PM

The hubs would like to extend their services, perhaps providing a place where people could pay their rates, or providing access to office equipment and study resources.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Marton main street revitalisation gets nod for public consultation

Whanganui Chronicle

Country's first crisis recovery cafe opens in Whanganui

Whanganui Chronicle

Rob Vinsen cites experience in council bid


Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Marton main street revitalisation gets nod for public consultation
Whanganui Chronicle

Marton main street revitalisation gets nod for public consultation

The consultation will likely go out around November to see where the $2m is spent.

03 Sep 05:00 PM
Country's first crisis recovery cafe opens in Whanganui
Whanganui Chronicle

Country's first crisis recovery cafe opens in Whanganui

03 Sep 05:00 PM
Rob Vinsen cites experience in council bid
Whanganui Chronicle

Rob Vinsen cites experience in council bid

03 Sep 05:00 PM


NZ’s convenience icon turns 35
Sponsored

NZ’s convenience icon turns 35

02 Sep 09:23 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP