Batlow's new library under siege as Snowy Valleys Council proposes more cuts

Batlow Library is under siege and community members are taking up their pens to save it.

The new small community facility is now in the sights of Snowy Valleys Council (SVC) which is looking to cut operating hours from five days per week to two days per week as part of a host of measures to cut costs.

It’s not the only library being targeted in the local government area with Tumut and Tumbarumba also looking at reduced access, but the smaller towns and settlements of Adelong, Khancoban, Tooma and Jinjellic will have no library services at all thanks to the council’s bid to shave $132,323 from its annual budget.

Currently deemed financially unsustainable, the council was presented at its June meeting with a list of initiatives targeted for reduction over the next 12 months – among them waste recovery centres, swimming pools, staffing levels, grants, sponsorships and donations – which would result in an overall $1.25 million saving.

The council’s interim general manager Steven Pinnuck said rising prices, rate pegging, limited opportunities to raise own-source revenue and increased cost-shifting from other levels of government had resulted in council being unable to deliver services from current revenue.

He said IPART’s decision not to grant SVC a further special rate variation only exacerbated Council’s immediate financial sustainability issues.

The resulting community outcry has led to a series of campaigns across the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains, not the least of which is in Batlow which just three years ago celebrated the opening of its new $1m library with then mayor James Hayes.

Anne Hallard is heading a group of concerned residents in campaigning against change, and they’ve resorted to letterbox drops to inform the community of the proposal, urging them to sign a form letter to the GM supporting an alternate across-the-board proposal developed by Batlow’s librarians.

Among their recommendations is closure of Tumut Library on Saturday, reducing opening hours at Tumut, Tumbarumba and Batlow by one hour per day, and a more flexible employee arrangement at Tumut Library.

“This would save around 38 hours per week which is equivalent to the council proposal and far more equitable for the community,” she said.

Ms Hallard said the library was far more than a repository for books, offering a wealth of services including holiday and educational programs for schoolchildren; public access to technology such as computers, photocopiers and the internet; NSW Government services such as Medicare and Centrelink; Snowy Valleys Council liaison including rates, water payments, tourism support plus information on council services and infrastructure.

“There’s also a strong social role it plays in the community in terms of providing a central meeting point for individuals and groups – like the weekly knitting group, homeschoolers – or even the local MP Dr Joe McGirr for his community consultations,” she said.

“The loss of another public service in Batlow, loss of qualified and skilled librarians as well as delivering a major impact on the delivery of essential services to all residents, seasonal workers and tourists in Batlow, is unacceptable,” she said.

She said the result of their Save Batlow Library campaigning so far was astonishing.

“Aside from the overwhelming support shown from those within Batlow we’ve had signed letters come in from near and far including from residents travelling both in Australia and abroad,” she said.

This includes a fringe ‘Friends of Batlow’ group of supporters from Canberra, Sydney, Tuross Head, Tumut, Wagga and Brisbane.

She said she hoped the council would give very serious consideration to the alternate proposal before putting the community they serve at a huge disadvantage.

In the meantime Ms Hallard said she’d contacted the office of the NSW Ombudsman.

“They’re very keen to hear how the GM responds to our proposal,” she said.

Right now each of the Snowy Valleys libraries is holding a Reading Olympics, encouraging children to take part in a scavenger hunt-styled competition in their town library – be it Adelong, Batlow, Tumut or Tumbarumba – with hidden gold medals revealing clues to uncover a special message.

Snowy Valleys Council is set to meet again on 18 July.

Ms Hallard said people wishing to support the Save Batlow Library campaign should address their correspondence by email to SVC’s GM Steven Pinnuck at [email protected] or if they require further information to contact her by email at [email protected]