Deficit for library

The West Gippsland Regional Library Corporation is budgeting to return to a small surplus of about $43,000 next financial year.

It is forecasting a deficit for the current financial year of $75,000.

The library services Baw Baw, Bass Coast and South Gippsland shires

Board chair Mikaela Power of Baw Baw shire said the budget for 2017-2018 was the first by the corporation to include a 10-year financial plan that addressed savings for the longer-term.

“It is about testing and positioning the service for bigger things in later years,” she said.

Chief executive officer Leanne Williams said the corporation was striving to contain costs through system improvements and automation of processes.

Employee costs account for about two-thirds of total expenditure eestimated to be just under $6 million next financial year.

The three member councils are expected to contribute $4.95 million towards the service’s costs, a two per cent rise in line with State Government rate capping, with Baw Baw’s to provide $1.77 million.

State government grants are forecast to be $872,000.

The WGRLC membership stands at 42,300 with the Warragul library having the most, 9000.

There are about 3600 members at the Drouin library.

More than 600,000 visits were made to libraries throughout the region during the past year.