Time is running out to provide feedback to Western Bay of Plenty District Council on the new Waihī Beach library coming in 2024.

Consultation with the community regarding the new library closes on Friday, November 19.

Council's top four preferred library locations to vote on are Community Centre Rear Reserve, Wilson Park, Wilson Road Carpark and Wilson Road Broadlands Block

'With this new facility, we want to create more than a library and Council service centre,” says Western Bay of Plenty District Council's customer service and governance manager Barbara Whitton.

'We want to build a community hub that residents and visitors use to connect with one another. In our vision, this building will be the heart of the Waihī Beach community, and so we need to get the location and design right.”

'So far we've had a lot of great suggestions including co-working spaces, meeting rooms and event spaces. A couple of people have even suggested a small cinema for movies.”

Council acknowledges community suggestions of refurbishing the library at its current site but state that they have outgrown the existing building.

'Jump online and share your thoughts,” says Barbara.

'We're excited to gather as much feedback as possible.”

It is too small to meet the needs of the growing Waihī Beach community, the services they want and their desire for a connected town centre, says Barb.

'This is our opportunity to align Council's library, service centre and community hub service standards in Waihī Beach with the plans for our other town libraries and service centres. The community need to be involved if we're going to get the location and design spot on.”

The new library, service centre and community hub was a topic of consultation within Council's Long Term Plan 2021-31, where community consultation favoured bringing the project forward to 2024 from 2028.

To have your say visit haveyoursay.westernbay.govt.nz/waihi-beach-library or pop into the Waihī Beach library to share your thoughts in person.