Page 1285 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 3 April 2019
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significant contributor to the trove project nationally. If you were to search the births, deaths and marriages of digitised newspapers for this very day about 40 years ago you might find the birth of a very significant member of this place. Happy birthday, Ms Cody.
MS CODY: Minister, what will the previous location of the Heritage Library be used for?
MR STEEL: I thank Ms Cody for her supplementary question. Previously the Heritage Library was located at Woden on the mezzanine level. As the population of Woden grows, I am pleased that the relocation of the Heritage Library into its new premises at Fyshwick will provide more community space in the Woden town centre while we continue to plan for a new community centre for Woden.
There is significant demand on the south side for larger community spaces for meetings and activities. The previous location of the Heritage Library will be opened up to allow for the community to use the space and for Woden library to deliver its variety of programs, such as language and English conversation; health, wellbeing and support; parents groups; hobby groups; business meetings and workshops; community council meetings; and government meetings and consultations in the future.
I have also asked Libraries ACT to explore ways that community groups can access the other community space at Woden library, once occupied by Access Canberra, so that this section of Woden library can be opened up after hours and more community groups are able to use the space available.
MS ORR: Minister, what are the broader benefits of this relocation?
MR STEEL: I thank Ms Orr for her supplementary. While this relocation will ensure the ongoing preservation of and access to the documentary heritage of the ACT community, there are also broader benefits for the Canberra community now and into the future. One of the considerations of the relocation is that Canberra’s population is growing and our heritage collection is growing with it.
The new location provides room for the collection of diverse publications, archival collections, images, maps, plans and books for community use. I know they are always interested in getting more material that is significant to the ACT’s heritage.
The new space also provides additional safety for the stored records, which are located in a box within a box, with fire retardant walls and climate control to manage both temperature and humidity conditions for often fragile paper and other materials.
At the new location, parking will also be convenient, with some free parking nearby and unmetered two-hour parking adjacent to the Heritage Library in Fyshwick, thus making the library accessible. I believe that at the commencement of our new bus network, it will be the No 2 bus that people will be able to catch to access the library on our new network 19 bus system.
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