Tasman District Council’s proposal to relocate the Motueka service centre into the town’s library has sparked strong community opposition, but Motueka’s councillors say it remains the most practical and affordable option.
The service centre currently operates from council-owned premises at 7 Hickmott Place, which has recently been sold. Group manager customer and community services, John Ridd, says the service centre will continue operating there until at least late January, with the building handed over to its new owners in March.
John says the council considered several alternatives, including leasing commercial premises, co-locating with another organisation, using the old library building and moving into Te Noninga Kumu-Motueka District Library, which opened in 2022 after a $4.9 million build.
He says the new library was selected because it is an existing council-owned facility that is centrally located and easily accessible to the public.
The council believes this offers the fastest and most reliable pathway to occupation and is cost-effective with long-term certainty. It is expected to reduce costs by about $100,000 each year.
However, the proposal has drawn significant criticism from residents, with concerns centred on the lack of public consultation, the loss of library space and the potential impact on the library's atmosphere.
One resident, who asked not to be named, became emotional as he described the library as the "beating heart" of Motueka.
“I can understand they’re trying to keep rates down there, and fair enough, but to rip off a functioning jewel… there’s got to be another answer.”
Motueka Community Board chairperson Claire Hutt says the board was approached by the council about 10 weeks ago for feedback on the proposal.
She says three of the board’s four members opposed the move.
Claire points to the strong public reaction in early 2025 when the council proposed cuts to library services to reduce costs.
“I would have thought they learned their lesson from that about how passionate people are about their library.”
She believes public consultation should have been undertaken before a decision was made.
“It comes down to the fact that TDC have no money, and so who has to pay? The community.”
Motueka ward councillors say they understand those concerns but believe the relocation strikes the right balance between maintaining services and limiting rates increases.
Councillor Trindi Walker says she has heard from a "growing groundswell" of opposition but remains convinced the proposal is the best option available.
“I personally believe that we are doing the right thing, and I know the community has some concerns around that.”
Councillor Kerry Ferneyhough says she also understands why residents are worried.
“Our library is precious to many members of our community and the desire to protect it is strong.
“I, too, would like to preserve the positive feel of the library and would not agree to any project that I thought would be disruptive.”
Kerry says the current concept has been designed to use as little library space as possible.
“This decision was made to save money and combine services under one roof. We are in a tough financial position and are constantly working towards keeping rates affordable while balancing positive community outcomes.”
John says that both the library and service centre staff are involved in refining the design options. Deputy mayor and Motueka ward councillor Brent Maru says that the latest proposal is to use the library’s small meeting room and an adjoining storage area for the service centre.
John has previously confirmed six staff members would relocate to the library.
Brent says all other council staff, such as planners, compliance officers and building inspectors, will be housed in another council facility within Motueka.
John says customer numbers have been affected by the relocation of New Zealand Automobile Association (AA) services, which were previously provided from the service centre. Tasman District Council communications say this decline is estimated to equate to about 10,000 visits a year, with a further reduction expected following the introduction of lifetime dog registration tags.
Responding to concerns about the library environment, John says there is no significant evidence of angry or disruptive customers attending the service centre.
He also notes that the original plans for Te Noninga Kumu-Motueka District Library included a customer service centre, although that element was later removed due to cost.
While librarians and service centre staff are all council employees, John confirms the two teams will not be expected to undertake each other’s front-counter duties.
