982 days ago

City leaders 'gravely concerned' for Christchurch library rebuild

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

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.

More messages from your neighbours
20 hours ago

Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

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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Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
  • 41.9% Yes
    41.9% Complete
  • 31.7% Maybe?
    31.7% Complete
  • 26.4% No
    26.4% Complete
356 votes
6 days ago

Brain Teaser of the Day 🧠✨ Can You Solve It? 🤔💬

The Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

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!

Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.

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8 days ago

Poll: Are our Kiwi summer holidays helping us recharge, or holding the economy back? ☀️🥝

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

There’s growing debate about whether New Zealand’s extended Christmas break (and the slowdown that comes with it) affects productivity.

Tracy Watkins has weighed in ... now it’s your turn. What’s your take? 🤔

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Are our Kiwi summer holidays helping us recharge, or holding the economy back? ☀️🥝
  • 73% We work hard, we deserve a break!
    73% Complete
  • 15.9% Hmm, maybe?
    15.9% Complete
  • 11.1% Yes!
    11.1% Complete
1316 votes