Nationals Member for Ovens Valley, Tim McCurdy, met with Friends of the Wangaratta Library and other community members in a productive discussion about the future of public library funding.
Libraries are more than a place to borrow books, but a place for locals to come together and access countless resources for free and engage with society.
From Wi-Fi and computer access, to newspapers, arts and science displays, to the many successful children’s programs run during holidays, libraries form an important hub that brings the community together.
Mr McCurdy said that he was greatly concerned about the impacts that a suspected horror Victorian budget will have on public libraries.
“We know that Jacinta Allan will be overseeing a horror budget that will slash funding to the bone in all areas.
“But what Labor needs to be careful about is cutting funding to important community resources like public libraries in order to shift costs onto councils and try and pay for their financial mismanagement.
“By failing to support libraries, we are seeing more and more staffing and hour cuts, a reduction in services provided to the community, and a safe place for people to get away from their troubles.
“We know how critical it is for children to read books in order to excel at their education, and how critical the internet and computers are for accessing government services.
“It is time for Jacinta Allan and Labor to get serious about regional libraries and keep their hands off our funding.”