56205 (2024). Celia Wade-Brown to the Minister of Local Government

56205 (2024). Celia Wade-Brown to the Minister of Local Government: Does the Minister consider that Council-funded libraries contribute to the cultural wellbeing of communities or are a nice-to-have?

Hon Simeon Brown: Councils are ultimately responsible for how rates are spent. Like most New Zealanders, central government is having to prioritise the must-haves over the nice-to-haves. For the Government, this means funding essential services and critical infrastructure. I expect local councils to adopt a similar approach, going line by line through their expenditure to ensure they are focussed on core business.