Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle has joined local councillors to promote a NSW Labor pledge to dramatically increase library funding.
Currently NSW has the lowest per capita investment by a state government in libraries, with much smaller economies such as Tasmania and South Australia making the highest contributions.
In its first term, NSW Labor plans to double the state’s contribution to local libraries to $3.70 per capita, linking the increase to the consumer price index.
Labor has also pledged to create a $25 million Public Library Infrastructure Fund for public libraries to upgrade their facilities or purchase new equipment.
But Liberal MP and Katoomba resident Shayne Mallard accused Labor of stealing ideas from the government, which he said had just announced more investment in libraries.
Blue Mountains City Councillors Romola Hollywood and Mick Fell joined Ms Doyle at Springwood Library to make the announcement.
“NSW Labor believes that libraries are at the heart of our communities. They help promote lifelong learning; provide free access to information, and are community hubs for people to meet and engage with one another,” said Ms Doyle.
“The NSW Liberals have got their priorities wrong and are pouring taxpayers’ money into unnecessary new sporting stadiums in the eastern suburbs and white elephant tollroads like WestConnex while beloved and beneficial public institutions such as our local libraries suffer from funding freezes”, she said.
Ward 2 Councillor Romola Hollywood, who is on the Executive of the NSW Public Libraries Association, said that “there has been no real increase in ongoing state funding in NSW for local libraries, which has remained at $1.85 per capita since 2011”.
“Local governments across the state are doing more than their fair share in keeping local libraries afloat, so it is high time the state government contributed more funds for our public libraries”.
Councillor Mick Fell, a Springwood local, acknowledged the importance of public libraries as a place to read study and reflect.
“Many libraries also provide services for families, senior citizens, young people, multicultural communities, students, and of course children who use the library during the holidays or after school”, he said.
Upper House Liberal MP Shayne Mallard dismissed Labor’s pledge.
“Labor’s policy thought bubble is stolen from the NSW Government,” he said. “We don’t have to be near an election to announce investing in libraries and instead just get on with the job. Just this last week we have announced $4 million for library infrastructure upgrades across the state as part of our $28.8 million spend on libraries in the current financial year.”
