Funding for NSW public libraries has reached crisis point and Maitland City Council has agreed to do something about it.
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Mayor Loretta Baker’s mayoral minute gained momentum last night with councillors agreeing to support the NSW Public Libraries Association and Local Government NSW in a campaign to lobby the State for more money.
“Maitland’s Library loans have increased by 33.14% over the past 10 years, almost 10% higher than the increase in Maitland’s population which has grown by 24.7% over the same period,” Cr Baker said. “Funding at the moment is unsustainable and at a crisis point,” she told Tuesday night’s council meeting.
Funding at the moment is unsustainable and at a crisis point
- Mayor Loretta Baker.
Council will now endorse NSW Public Libraries Association and Local Government NSW library funding advocacy initiative, make representation to Member for Maitland, Jenny Aitchison, for more library funding, write to Don Harwin, Minister for the Arts and Walt Secord, Shadow Minister for the Arts, calling for bipartisan support for a significant increase in funds and take a leading role in activating the campaign locally.
