![STORY by KATIE BASTIANSLOCAL parents are ramping up for a war with the state government if it doesn’t change plans to slash local library budgets.The Voice first revealed the Barnett government’s plans two weeks ago (“Book budget burned,” Voice, March 20, 2010. Ed: Incidentally more than a week before the West ran the same story on its front page).At a time of rapidly growing population funding is to nose-dive 40 per cent from $10.8 million in 2008-09 to $6.5m in 2010-11.Councils slam the cuts as another cost-shifting exercise that makes it impossible to buy new books and other resources without dipping into already stretched council-resources.Sally Kelly warns the government should steel itself for a mammoth backlash.“WA is supposedly in a good position compared with the rest of the States with this mining boom…and we’re lacking funding for libraries, like what is going on?’ she asked.“As a mum in my early 30s with small children the library is a saviour personally.“I think it’s such a fundamental amenity…and it underpins so many values that we want to see in our children.“To take it away would be completely abysmal, wrong [and] outrageous.”Labor arts and culture spokesman John Hyde says WA’s councils have woken up to the fact they’re being ripped off.“Arts minister John Day kept saying there were no cuts and the Opposition got it wrong,” he said.“Yet now every local council in the state can see the reality of their 40 per cent cut in the absence of a renewed library agreement the former Labor Government put in place.”Labor treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt says the government is crowing it is about to spend $700 million on new prisons when “70 per cent of prisoners in WA prisons are unable to read and write”.He says the library cuts will make it harder for people on low incomes to access reading material: “Evidence has been around for a long time that people who are illiterate are much more likely to end up in the criminal justice system.”Mr Day said a mid-year review was forecasting a $51m surplus when last financial year it was forecast to be $1.86b.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l03amib6fo1qax0hmo1_500.jpg)
STORY by KATIE BASTIANS
LOCAL parents are ramping up for a war with the state government if it
doesn’t change plans to slash local library budgets.
The Voice first revealed the Barnett government’s plans two weeks ago
(“Book budget burned,” Voice, March 20, 2010. Ed: Incidentally more
than a week before the West ran the same story on its front page).
At a time of rapidly growing population funding is to nose-dive 40 per
cent from $10.8 million in 2008-09 to $6.5m in 2010-11.
Councils slam the cuts as another cost-shifting exercise that makes it
impossible to buy new books and other resources without dipping into
already stretched council-resources.
Sally Kelly warns the government should steel itself for a mammoth
backlash.
“WA is supposedly in a good position compared with the rest of the
States with this mining boom…and we’re lacking funding for libraries,
like what is going on?’ she asked.
“As a mum in my early 30s with small children the library is a saviour
personally.
“I think it’s such a fundamental amenity…and it underpins so many
values that we want to see in our children.
“To take it away would be completely abysmal, wrong [and] outrageous.”
Labor arts and culture spokesman John Hyde says WA’s councils have
woken up to the fact they’re being ripped off.
“Arts minister John Day kept saying there were no cuts and the
Opposition got it wrong,” he said.
“Yet now every local council in the state can see the reality of their
40 per cent cut in the absence of a renewed library agreement the
former Labor Government put in place.”
Labor treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt says the government is crowing it
is about to spend $700 million on new prisons when “70 per cent of
prisoners in WA prisons are unable to read and write”.
He says the library cuts will make it harder for people on low incomes
to access reading material: “Evidence has been around for a long time
that people who are illiterate are much more likely to end up in the
criminal justice system.”
Mr Day said a mid-year review was forecasting a $51m surplus when last
financial year it was forecast to be $1.86b.
