Historic community controversies were set aside at last week’s opening ceremony for Ngatea’s new library and council service centre.
The $4.8 million He Pātaka Kōrero Hauraki Plains Library and Community Centre was officially opened on July 22, with a dawn blessing and civic ceremony.
The building, located on the edge of Hugh Howard Domain in Ngatea, was open to the public on July 23. It houses the library, community meeting spaces, and the council customer service centre.
Hauraki District Mayor Toby Adams and former Mayor John Tregidga cut the ribbon.
“A project like this takes many, many years and it’s gone over trienniums,” Mayor Adams said.
“This project came with some controversy at the time… But the council was really brave and we made a decision. And I think we’ve got a fantastic asset now.”
The opening was attended by a large crowd, including councillors, key council staff, and a large contingent of the community.
This moment has been years in the making. In 2018, council proposed moving the community space away from the town centre. However, a 1200-signature petition, spearheaded by Valda Laurich, and a public meeting attended by 400 people, were a clear message the community did not approve.
Eventually, council agreed to keep the building in its current location, opting to replace it with a purpose-built, community-oriented space.
The old building was demolished in May last year after serving the community since 1973.
“When we started off with the [new] library here, we got it wrong,” John Tregidga told the crowd.
“This community started getting a bit divided. And that hurt, and I haven’t forgotten that.
“[This] is the right thing for this community [and] the end of that little friction that was here.”
Valda told The Profile the community’s petitioning was worthwhile.
“I’m so pleased the council listened to us… this was the right place for this building to be,” she said.
“The outlook is lovely – it’s just magnificent.”
The new building’s design has been carefully considered, with architect Stirling Burrows, who also designed the Paeroa and Waihī libraries, describing it as a taonga for the community.
“It’s surrounded by the lawn… We really wanted to have that feeling that you were in the park for that serenity,” he said.
“Our public buildings should be the best of their time – they should be here for generations. The idea is that now it’s the community’s. Hopefully… they will cherish it, and it will start to become part of their identity.”
The Māori name for the building was chosen to represent the stories, knowledge and connections at the heart of the Hauraki Plains.
“He Pātaka Kōrero represents a place where people can gather to learn, connect and share stories,” council said.
Mayor Adams said the name was gifted with real thought and care.
“It reflects what we want this place to be – somewhere our whole community can come together to learn, connect and share their stories.”
The library held a number of events to celebrate its opening week, including storytime sessions, book and craft clubs, a senior social hour, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and 3D printing workshops.
“Ngatea was a very small building,” library services team leader Marion Kroukam said.
“Now that we’ve invested in the bigger building, we are going to be able to give the same events as Paeroa and Waihī, including being open on a Saturday.
“Working on this project has been amazing… This is one of the pinnacles of my career.”
