Five councillors want to defer any major decisions about a regional library at Gosford until commercially viable and affordable outcomes can be planned.
The councillors want a closure plan detailing the impact any new regional library at Gosford would have on other local libraries.
For their move to be successful, the council at Monday night’s meeting will have to reverse its decision made at the extraordinary meeting on April 11.
Two items only were discussed at the April 11 meeting and now both items have rescission motions against them; the library decision and the Regional Performing Arts Centre.
Last week the council debated for more than two hours about two options for a new regional library. Option one was basically a new library with underground parking and option two added retail and commercial space and cost about triple the money.
ET Australia and other not for profit groups which operate now across the road from the library would have been incorporated into option two.
The Mayor’s recommendation of option one with the possibility of adding levels to the building in later years to bring in some of option two finally won the day.
Only 12 councillors voted with Cr Holstein out of the room due to conflict of interest and two councillors away.
In their rescission motion, Councillors Greg Best, Bruce McLachlan, Jilly Pilon, Rebecca Gale Collins and Troy Marquart have called the original decision ad hoc with the potential to cost $67 million plus overrun contingencies.
They want council to now defer this decision with a view to delivering to “residents and ratepayers a far more commercially viable and affordable outcome through seeking to leverage maximum site yields etc”.
They note the need to support the various current tenants/owners that
are not for profits in developing the project and say there are no funding or regulatory imperatives driving the project timelines.
Their motion wants council to note with “great concern” that the delivery of any such regional library would ultimately result in the closure of a number of district libraries.
Their motion finishes with: “It is with this understanding that council further recognises the need to develop a thorough libraries closure plan, details of locations, community consultation, impact mitigation options and staffing issues/redundancies etc.”
Their rescission motion goes to council this Monday night, April 23, at the Wyong offices. Meeting starts at 6.30pm
