Tauranga mulls user-pays libraries

Published: 6:30PM Wednesday January 27, 2010

Source: ONE News

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Source: ONE News

Watch Video Tauranga mulls user-pays libraries (1:47)

Council revenue gathering is reaching new heights in Tauranga with plans to start charging for library book loans.

The charges are proposals at this stage, but the idea is attracting the interest of bigger city councils.

A great proportion of the cost of a public library service is supported from rates.

But Tauranga City Council wants to head the user-pays way.

"(The) council has asked us to reduce the total cost of the libraries to the ratepayer and we're trying to do that by a mixture of charges and making savings," says Jill Best from Tauranga City Council Libraries.

It is proposing a 50 cent charge for adult loans. In three years that will rise to 80 cents.

Kids books are, for now, exempt.

ONE News rang a number of councils to see what they thought of the proposal. Christchurch and Wellington say there are no plans to charge for books. As for Auckland libraries, the council could be interested once the city's amalgamation happens in November.

And that does not surprise the Tauranga City Council.

"I'm sure that some of the bigger councils will be looking at what Tauranga is doing and what the reaction from the customers will be," says Best.

If it goes ahead, New Zealand and Denmark will be the only two countries to charge for library loans.

Sixty percent of Tauranga residents use the city libraries. They and the rest of the city will have the chance to have their say on the proposal in March.

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