In a win for communities at Sanctuary Point and Sussex Inlet, Shoalhaven City Councillors voted to build a new district library at Sanctuary Point at the ordinary meeting on Tuesday night.
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Past discussions indicated once the library is built, the existing, smaller library at Sanctuary Point would be moved to Sussex Inlet, so the town has access to a permanent library.
The issue of where to built the district library has been a matter of conjecture among councillors, since Cr Bob Proudfoot pushed for a location change from original plans to build it in the Bay and Basin community precinct several months ago.
After many hours of debate, and two rescission motions, casting voter Cr Patricia White said this would be a positive move for residents of Sanctuary Point.
The breakthrough was finding a council-owned block of land zoned correctly and possibly suitable for the development near the Francis Ryan Sports Field.
“I was opposed to buying land,” Cr White said.
“A block of land has be found that may be suitable.
“It will reinvigorate the back area of the shops, the people who live there need something like this."
Crs John Levett, Nina Cheyne and Kaye Gartner presented their reservations about the decision.
Their fear is, with the Sanctuary Point district library not shovel-ready, council would miss out on funding opportunities that would be available to them by pursuing the library project that is shovel-ready at the Crossroads, Vincentia.
But they were outvoted seven to six at the meeting on Tuesday night.
FOR: Crs Annette Alldrick, White, Proudfoot, Andrew Guile, Mark Kitchener, Greg Watson, Mitchell Pakes
AGAINST: Cheyne, Levett, John Wells, Joanna Gash, Amanda Findley, Gartner
With the meeting adjourned, councillors are still within their rights to lodge another rescission motion.
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