Last Thursday, 17 February 2022, Ōpōtiki District Council was delighted to host commissioners from Tauranga City Council in the new library facility in the heart of Ōpōtiki - Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi.
Later this year, Tauranga City Council will begin building a new central library and community hub facility on its Willow Street civic precinct, in the city centre. With planning for the building well underway, commissioners are looking to draw ideas from successful projects elsewhere, including Ōpōtiki’s new facilities.
Ōpōtiki Mayor, Lyn Riesterer, said that it was a pleasure to host the Commission Chair, Anne Tolley, and commissioners Bill Wasley and Shadrach Rolleston.
“Anne has a long history with Ōpōtiki – as the East Coast MP for 15 years, she helped us keep our harbour vision alive through many iterations. She was also crucial to arranging the Real Ōpōtiki art exhibition in Bowen House which was part of our profile and fundraising efforts for the new building. So it was a pleasure to have her back here and host her in Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi.
“We spoke about the process we went through funding the facility and the vital role Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi has as a community space. The building has fantastic spaces for digital learning, hands-on maker space, children’s spaces, the courtyard and incredible art. We also talked about its role as a ‘place maker’ and how it fits with our wider town centre revitalisation. It was a really worthwhile discussion,” Mayor Riesterer said.
Anne Tolley said Tauranga was “playing catch-up” on its community facility investment and the Council is drawing inspiration from the other centre’s achievements. “It’s been fantastic to see the difference that facilities like Te Tāhuhu o Te Rangi can make to a community and we look forward to providing a similar range of activities and attractions for our city.”
