The ACT government has axed its mobile-library service, ending the era of the bookmobile.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As the government prepares to cut costs ahead of the June budget, it announced late on Wednesday that the humble library service that has driven around Canberra for decades would no longer be available.
In its budget update last week, the government flagged cuts to the service, which it yesterday said now only accounted for 0.5 per cent of borrowing across Canberra libraries.
Territory and Municipal Services Minister Shane Rattenbury said the service would cease operations in July as a result of a decline in borrowing
from the mobile library and a need to cut costs.
''The mobile library was introduced as a transitional service more than 50 years ago to gauge the community need for public and school libraries, visiting set locations around Canberra on a fortnightly basis, carrying books and other resources,'' Mr Rattenbury said.
''At the time, there was only a book-lending service on Kings Avenue and two pilot children's libraries.
''Mobile services then evolved to include retirement villages and outer locations, for similar reasons.''
Mr Rattenbury said nine library branches had since been established throughout Canberra.
He said the mobile-library model was increasingly only used in remote or regional parts of Australia and changes had already been made over the past 12 months to phase out some mobile services that had fewer than three borrowers.
Mr Rattenbury said no jobs would be lost as a result of the decision and mobile-library staff would be moved to branches and other library services.
He said there were other services available to help Canberrans who could not access the ACT's public libraries.
But Deputy Opposition Leader Alistair Coe said cutting the service was an example of the ACT government hitting Canberrans with more charges for fewer services.
''The delivery of a library service is a typical responsibility of a council,'' Mr Coe said. ''Local councils across the country are able to deliver these services.
''It seems pretty inexcusable that you'd have rates and charges going up and traditional community services being cut.''
Figures released by the government last week showed the 2013-14 budget deficit had blown out from $254 million to $361 million.