City leaders 'gravely concerned' for Christchurch library rebuild
From reporter Tina Law:
One of Christchurch's most popular libraries is at risk of being rebuilt as a “substandard facility” that will fail to meet the needs of its community, some city leaders fear.
There is a $2.5 million shortfall to rebuild South Library in Beckenham and with no extra money currently in the Christchurch City Council’s budget, councillors and community board members are worried the project will be scaled back.
They are urging the public to make a submission to the council’s draft annual plan, before submissions close at 11.59pm on Monday, to ensure more money is put in the budget.
Waihoro Spreydon-Cashmere-Heathcote Community Board chairperson Callum Ward told the council at its meeting last week that the board was “gravely concerned” about the project.
“Unless we adjust the budget now to meet the actual needs of the facility, the scope of this project will be eroded to the point where we will deliver a substandard facility that will fail to meet the needs of the community.”
Ward said the library, which was also a service centre, was one of the most well-used in the city and had a higher book turnover than Tūranga, the central library.
Read the full story here.
Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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41.9% Yes
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31.7% Maybe?
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26.4% No
2025 has been massive. The Luxon-led Government's attacks on workers, on Te Tiriti, on pay equity, on educators, on health workers, and on the public service, have been relentless.
But despite everything thrown at working people, we've also seen some massive wins. We've fought back together with strike action. We've unified with days of action. We have focused on what matters. Make no mistake, 2026 will be wild, and we are ready for it! Source - New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬
How many balls of string does it take to reach the moon?
(Peter from Carterton kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Peter!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
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