16 | REGIONAL Grey District Council Greymouth High School. Engineered to inspire. STRUCTURAL + CIVIL + GEOTECHNICAL www.engco.nz “A proud collaboration with Greymouth District Council, Smart Project Management, and RM Design to deliver a welcoming, functional community space for learning, connection, and discovery” Quantity Surveyors www.kingstons.co.nz T T Kim Newth New library reflects changing trends The new Richmond Quay building on the banks of the Grey River houses the new Greymouth Library, along with a new café and indoor playground and ground-floor retail spaces. A spectacular riverside site in Greymouth has been transformed into a landmark community and commercial hub for the town and the wider West Coast. Called He Kupenga Mātauranga, the new Richmond Quay building on the banks of the Grey River houses the new Greymouth Library, along with a new café and indoor playground and ground-floor retail spaces. Today’s libraries are about far more than books, serving also as multi-purpose community hubs. The new Greymouth Library, which opened on July 3, exemplifies that trend. Compared to the town’s previous library, which had reached capacity, the new facility is twice as big. It means more services can be offered in step with the changing needs of the community. As well as housing a 30,000-strong collection, it includes new study and meeting rooms, a creative space, digital services and community programmes. Located on the top floor of the new building, the new library sits between Chapter 1 café and an indoor playground, complete with slides. He Kupenga Mātauranga and its new library are already proving very popular with locals and visitors alike. “In the first month, there were over 13,000 through the doors of the new library, and over 8000 books issued,” says Kurtis Perrin-Smith, Grey District Council’s group manager operations. “This is another anchor business for the Greymouth CBD, and it has certainly increased visitor numbers to that area of town. It is an amazing community asset that has been developed.” The new building looks out over the Grey River, and is designed to make the most of the iconic location. The new library is light, bright and modern, with beautiful, elevated river views. Downstairs, tenancies in the building are filling up, with Unichem Olsen’s Pharmacy already open there. The name He Kupenga Mātauranga - The Net of Knowledge was gifted to the building by Ngāti Waewae. It reflects the purpose of the facility as a place where knowledge is gathered, shared, connected and stored. A partnership process enabled this community-focused development to proceed, with the council contributing $15.25 million of the overall $24.23 million cost. “The remaining $9 million is being externally funded from Development West Coast (DWC), the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund administered by Kānoa ($2m as grant funding) and Better Off Funding administered by DIA ($2.62m),” says Kurtis. This is one of the council’s first partnerships with DWC and Kānoa, though the parties have worked together previously on the local port. “DWC already owned this strategic piece of riverside land, and they were looking for opportunities for the site. This is how the partnership started, with council looking for library opportunities.”
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