Ngaruawahia Library to reopen in October

The Ngaruawahia Library will reopen in October after the Waikato District Council decided to reinforce three external walls to ensure the building is not at risk in the event of a moderate earthquake.

The return to the Jesmond Street building is expected to be a temporary move, with the council soon to begin a consultation process with the Ngaruawahia community about long-term options for the library. 

The library building was closed for safety reasons in April, after a structural engineer’s report identified it as being at risk of collapse in an earthquake.

“We appreciate the library is an important facility for Ngaruawahia and the surrounding communities, so we’re pleased it will be reopening soon,” chief executive Gavin Ion said.

Over the past few months the council has been investigating a range of options and believes that the bracing work is the best immediate solution while the long term future of the library is determined.

“At this stage we expect the library will move back to Jesmond Street for about two years, so we’re looking forward to talking to the Ngaruawahia community about what best suits their needs in the long term,” Mr Ion said.

Work will begin next week to brace the walls which were identified as being at risk in the engineer’s report. The work is expected to take six weeks and cost about $35,000.

The temporary library facility which has been operating out of the council’s head office in Ngaruawahia will continue to offer library services until the Jesmond Street building reopens.