Good news but this fight is not over yet

LIBRARY advocates are tentatively celebrating victory but have vowed to maintain their campaign until administrators formally extend the three branches a lifeline.

Public outcry — through 6200 signatures on petitions and hundreds of survey results — has been credited with gaining internal council support to retain the libraries until at least June next year.

“It shows when people get together what they can achieve,” former councillor Ron Nelson said.

“Libraries are the hub of every community — they are not just about books.”

Hilary Hoevenaars, from the Save Chilwell Library Group, welcomed the recommendation but said the campaign was not won until the city’s administrators agreed to it.

“We are very happy that the council has responded to the public feedback,” she said yesterday.

“We can’t really get excited yet, but we do feel some relief about it, given the hundreds of hours we have put into this.”

The public campaign to secure the future of the branches will continue, with advocates warning that a final decision would not be made until the June 27 meeting.

“We have to keep the pressure on until they vote for it,” Mr Nelson said.

Supporters will attend a rally in Barwon Heads tomorrow, before quizzing the administrators at a public forum in Newtown on Wednesday.

Liberal Corangamite MP Sarah Henderson will be among several politicians at the rally in Barwon Heads. “The decision to keep these libraries open is a great win for the community,” Ms Henderson said.

“While the decision needs to be formally adopted by the administrators, it is clear that people power has prevailed. We urgently need democracy restored to the City of Greater Geelong.”

“We can’t really get excited yet, but we do feel some relief about it, given the hundreds of hours we have put into this.” HILARY HOEVENAARS