The former Motueka library will become the town’s new service centre, with Tasman District Council siding with strong community opposition to moving customer services into Te Noninga Kumu.
Elected members voted 8-6 at a full council meeting on Thursday to use the old library building on Pah St instead, despite staff advising another option would provide a better long-term financial outcome.
Staff had recommended moving the service centre into Te Noninga Kumu, Motueka’s library and community hub, and leasing out the former library building. They said it offered the best long-term financial outcome and came after years of uncertainty about the former library’s future because of earthquake concerns.
But for months, residents, library supporters and the Motueka Community Board argued Te Noninga Kumu should remain a dedicated community space and that the former library should be given a new lease on life.
At Thursday’s meeting, deputy mayor and Motueka ward councillor Brent Maru, who successfully pushed for the matter to be reconsidered in early October, urged his colleagues to listen to what locals had been saying.
“When you think about this, think about the community feedback,” he said.
Brent acknowledged the financial figures favoured the alternative option, but said the strength of feeling in Motueka could not be ignored.
He said the debate had brought together some of the most diverse groups in the community he had seen and had “clearly showed the passion and the love of the Motueka library”.
“At what point do we start listening to ratepayers? This has been vocal and constant.”
Councillor Kerryn Ferneyhough said she could not recall another issue generating such a strong public response.
“We’ve had a lot of community feedback on this, more than the pool, more than rates, more than anything else in my time as councillor. This has been the area that our community has really spoken up about… The community has spoken.”
Several councillors who backed the former library option recognised it would cost more to run over time.
“I think the community needs to acknowledge it’s going to cost more,” councillor Jo Ellis said.
Councillor Dave Woods also agreed the staff recommendation made more financial sense, but still supported the old library option.
The former library option has a lower upfront cost, with council expected to spend about $200,000 on the move compared with $250,000 for the Te Noninga Kumu proposal.
However, council figures show the former library option would cost about $14,000 a year to run, while the staff-recommended option was expected to generate a net annual surplus of about $25,000 through lease income from the old library building.
Not all councillors were prepared to put community views ahead of the savings.
“I think we are missing a great opportunity to provide a better service to the public overall. We are losing the opportunity to save costs,” councillor Mark Greening said.
Mayor Tim King was also “100 per cent” opposed, saying councillors regularly talked about reducing rates and needed to take responsibility for the financial consequences of their decisions.
“I completely support the staff’s recommendation,” he said.
The former library has sat largely empty since Te Noninga Kumu opened in 2022.
For years, the cost of earthquake strengthening was seen as a major obstacle to reusing the building. However, changes to earthquake-prone building legislation in September mean it is no longer subject to those requirements.
The move has become more urgent because the current service centre building at Hickmott Place has been sold, with vacant possession required by 7 March, 2027.
The former library option will require further building work, while any plans to lease part of the building will depend on tenant demand, refurbishment costs and agreement from Wakatū Incorporation, which jointly owns the underlying land with council.
Motueka Community Board chair Claire Hutt said she felt “cross and betrayed” when staff recommended keeping customer support in the new library, but was chuffed with the outcome.
“I was sweating there for a little while, but it got through.”
