Long Term Community Plan 2012-2022 - Hurunui District Council

www.hurunui.govt.nz
Service
Relevant Community
Outcomes
Relevant Issues & Constraints
Who benefits, and
over what period
Future Funding & Sustainability
Community
Services and
Facilities –
Libraries
The Council’s funding of
Cemeteries contributes to
the Hurunui district being:
A desirable and safe place
to live:
• We have attractive well
designed townships
• Communities have
access to adequate
health and emergency
services and systems and
resources are available
to meet civil defence
emergencies
• Risks to public health
are identified and
appropriately managed
A place where our
traditional rural values and
heritage make Hurunui
unique:
• People have a range
of opportunities to
participate in leisure and
culture activities
• Our historic and cultural
heritage is protected for
future generations
Libraries receive a significant
amount of funding; hence there is
justification in terms of transparency
and account- ability for funding
this service distinctly from other
services. Funding this service
separately adds no extra cost.
It is Council policy to provide
a public library network for the
district and the high number of
volunteers and the high membership
rate demonstrate a strong level of
community support.
The Local Government Act 2002
stipulates free membership of
libraries - the aim being to provide
an accessible library service
that supports an educated and
culturally enriched community. The
library provides resources for the
community regardless of income,
isolation, ability and technical
expertise.
Funding discussions centre around
the ‘who pays’ argument and the
impact that charges will have on
the community. Library collections
today are made up of many formats
including books, video, DVD, CD,
magazines, newspapers and a variety
of online databases including the
internet. The library retrieves 3% of
its operational costs. Charges apply
to overdue items and to services that
are considered value added. Rentals
are applied to most audiovisual loans
– copyright legislation stipulates that
libraries are not to make a profit on
these items – and to some internet
usage.
Having different charges for different
groups of people (low income
earners, children, superannuatants,
etc) is more costly to administer
than the cost of free access to
library services.
The target group (adults with low
income and children) could not
afford to pay user charges for books.
Bringing in differentiated charges
would be an enormous administrative
load that would cost more than free
access. The closest to a user charge
would be a Uniform Annual General
Charge.
The predominant benefit
from libraries is to the
District as a whole
in encouraging the
development of an informed
and educated Community.
Additional benefits from
enhanced library services
may be derived from
residents of the local ward
or community rating area in
which the library is located.
Operational Costs:
• Library user charges (overdue fines,
book reserves etc).
• The libraries in Amberley and
Hanmer Springs are located
on reserves, therefore, the net
operational costs are funded through
the surplus from the Hanmer Springs
Thermal Reserve.
• The libraries in Culverden, Hawarden
and Cheviot are not located on
reserves and as such, the funding
of the operational costs for these
is made from an allocation from
the Council’s treasury surplus.
Therefore, there is no rating input to
operate the libraries.
Capital Costs:
• Significant Capital Expenditure on
land and building will be funded from
Council reserves or loans pursuant
the Council’s Internal Financing
Policy, and if any of this Capital
Expenditure caters for future growth,
then that portion of the expenditure
that relates to growth may be funded
from future units of demand via
Development Contributions.
• The construction of the Hurunui
Memorial Library has been funded
from two loans pursuant to the
Council’s Internal Financing Policy.
• The first loan represented the
majority of the cost. The repayments
of principal and interest for the
majority of the loan are funded by
way of development contributions.
• The second loan was the marginal
cost of an enhanced building which
was assigned to the Amberley Ward.
The marginal cost was assessed at
$260,000. Since 2004, the Amberley
Ward Ratepayers have been
contributing $16.00 per rating unit,
which has been used to fund the
interest and principal repayments.
This loan is expected to be repaid
in 2016.
Sustainability:
• There will be a positive effect on
the current and future social and
cultural wellbeing of library users.
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