Pioneer Park, home to Murrayville’s new library service
Published on 24 April 2018
Pioneer Park will soon be home to Murrayville’s new-look library service.
Mildura Rural City Councillors this week approved a report recommending the south east corner of the park, near the intersection of Gray Street and Boettcher Lane, as the most suitable location for the new library service.
Councillor for Arts and Culture Jason Modica said the decision follows a comprehensive consultation process with Murrayville residents, including two community information sessions and an online survey.
“This site is well suited as it’s centrally located, close to established parking, and residents already associate the site with library services, as it’s where the existing mobile library is normally based when it visits the township,” Cr Modica said.
He said there was also the convenience of close proximity to a playground, supermarket and post office.
Murrayville’s new library will feature a permanent collection of about 4000 items as well as access to Council’s statewide collection. It will also offer programs including kindergarten and school visits and public WiFi and computer access.
This week’s decision is the latest development as part of the New Libraries Branching Out model, which came out of a comprehensive review of Council’s library services aimed at making them more sustainable while improving access.
In addition to the new Murrayville place-based library, the new model will see the existing mobile library service replaced with:
- establishment of a placed-based library at the Ouyen Service Centre
- establishment of a weekly pop-up library service for Underbool and Walpeup residents
- establishment of a weekly pop-up library service for Werrimull and Lake Cullulleraine residents.
Cr Modica said the changes and the move away from a mobile library service would in many cases increase access to library services for residents along the Mallee Track and the Millewa.
In the case of Ouyen’s placed-based library, it will increase library services from the existing eight hours per week to 45 hours.
In Murrayville, the new library in Pioneer Park will increase access from 4.5 hours per week to between six and eight staffed hours, plus 24/7 access for residents who would like to use the library when it is not staffed.
The weekly pop-up libraries for Underbool, Walpeup, Werrimull and Lake Cullulleraine will all operate from local buildings, some of which are still to be identified. In the case of the Millewa, the Lake Cullulleraine Tennis Club will serve as the area’s pop-up library and will be renovated ahead of the new library service starting.
Cr Modica said the review of Council’s library services is expected to result in operational cost savings of approximately $190,000 and at least $800,000 in savings by not needing to replace assets such as the mobile library prime mover and trailer.
This money, along with Council’s successful application for $294,000 in Victorian Government funding through the Living Libraries Infrastructure program, has helped fund the new-look library services.
Media enquiries
Ben Piscioneri
p) (03) 5018 8689
e) ben.piscioneri@mildura.vic.gov.au