Councillor Melissa Cadwell says library funding not adequate, wants support for cash splash

As three Geelong libraries face the chop, a councillor wants to give the region’s libraries an extra $762,000.

City of Greater Geelong councillor Melissa Cadwell

An additional $762,000 should be pumped into the region’s libraries to ward off the closure of three sites, a City of Greater Geelong councillor says.

Melissa Cadwell, who began her role in January, said council had not allocated enough money to run the recently redeveloped Boronggook Drysdale Library in 2023-24.

The manager of the region’s libraries, the Geelong Regional Library Corporation (GRLC), has repeatedly said it would have a $1.18m funding shortfall in 2023-24 because council had not paid it enough to run the Drysdale Library, and Armstrong Creek library due to open after April next year.

That claim has been disputed by council chief executive Kaarina Phyland, mayor Trent Sullivan and councillor Eddy Kontelj.

This week Mr Sullivan said enough money was allocated to GRLC to run the city’s libraries in 2023-24.

Due to the claimed funding shortfall, GRLC has proposed to close libraries at Barwon Heads, Highton and Geelong West by September 30, and slash opening hours at seven other Geelong region libraries.

Ms Cadwell, on the board of the GRLC, said she would ask council at next week’s council meeting to contribute an extra $762,000 to the GRLC in 2023-24.

“Whilst provision was made (in council’s draft 2023-24 budget) to keep all existing libraries open and operating, no provision was made to operate the newly opened Drysdale library ($762,000), nor was any provision made (to run) the Armstrong Creek library that is currently being constructed and is set to open in the last quarter of 2023-24 (and cost $356,000 to run in that year),” Ms Cadwell said.

“The GRLC ceo has advised me that there is a high likelihood that Armstrong Creek library will not open in the 2023/2024 financial year, due to construction delays.

“Therefore, the shortfall in Geelong Regional Library Corporation’s 2023/2024 draft budget decreases to $762,000 which equates to the budget for operating Drysdale library for that period.

“Given the long standing relationship between City of Greater Geelong and Geelong Regional Library Corporation, and the funding arrangements for all other new and upgraded libraries over the past twenty years, City of Greater Geelong should continue that model and fund the extra $762,000 to Geelong Regional Library Corporation in council’s 2023/2024 budget.”

A spokeswoman for the GRLC it would cost $762,000 to operate the Boronggook Drysdale Library in 2023-24 but did not elaborate when asked to itemise that figure.

The spokeswoman said more funding was needed to run the Drysdale library because it was “five times the size of the previous building” and required more staff.

She said the library would also run more programs than its previous iteration.

The spokeswoman said the GRLC paid Geelong council $170,000 per year for corporate services, including payroll, accounts payable, fleet management and some finance services.

From June the GRLC is due to bring payroll in house in a bid to boost cash flow.

The spokeswoman said the GRLC-led operation model for the region’s libraries provided “more services, collection items, events and programs” than stand-alone council model.

She said the money the GRLC spent on senior staff salaries decreased between 2021-22 and 2022-23

Originally published as Councillor Melissa Cadwell says library funding not adequate, wants support for cash splash