The Richmond Library has “significant” structural roof issues with staff being “plagued” by leaks.
In a report presented last month, elected members were told that the building is approaching the end of its life, with "significant structural (roof) and water ingress issues".
Tasman District Council libraries manager Glennis Coote said the leaks have "plagued" staff almost since the library was refurbished in 2010, although the leaks primarily occur in areas that weren’t accessible by the public.
"That has taken a lot of time and effort and, I’m sure, money from the services budgets to deal with those leaks.
"There have been a couple of areas on the current right side of the library where that has actually affected the wall liners – it’s been replaced once or twice in some areas."
Coote added that the ceiling has been sagging in places "for quite some time", creating a safety concern for staff, though "we’ve been told at this point that it’s not a safety issue".
The Richmond Library building dates back to 1985 and was originally a retail store before being refitted as a library by the council in 1991.
The 2010 refurbishment cost $2.2 million but that included a massive technological upgrade for the facility, including the installation of the soundproofed Imaginarium, where library users could create video and audio tracks or record music.
The solar energy system, installed on the Richmond Library's roof last year, was also planned to be relocated to the Tākaka Library because of the subsequent roof issues.
A structural assessment was done on the roof before the solar system was installed which indicated it wouldn’t be a problem.
Tasman's elected members will be presented with a structural report on the Richmond Library in the near future.
It is expected to establish extent of the damage, the range of remediation options and their costs, how many years of life the library has left, if the council needs to consider building a new facility, and if the Tākaka Library’s roof will be able to hold the solar system.
Richmond’s revelation came just weeks after Nelson’s own Elma Turner Library fully re-opened after 19 months and $2.5 million of strengthening works that also remediated a buckled roof that caused leaks.
Those strengthening works are expected to have bought the beleaguered building another 5-10 years of life while Nelson City Council explores options for a new library building cheaper than the $46 million plans that were scrapped in November 2022.
However, Nelson's council still faces questions about its home of Civic House which is earthquake-prone and will be extremely costly to bring up to standard.
The council will explore the possibility of combining its future council building and library into one new facility.
This situation is mirrored in Richmond where the Tasman council’s building is also earthquake-prone cannot be legally used in its current state after June 2033.
Built in the 1960s but extended four times, the building has been described as “totally inefficient and … an absolute rabbit warren” by group manager community infrastructure Richard Kirby.
The council was currently exploring a range of options about the future of its council building, including retrofitting and expanding the current building, constructing a new facility, or leasing a space.
Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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