The Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre – Te Kōputu a te whanga a Toi – is to close on Sundays through the winter and early spring.

That decision follows a Friends of the Library submission to the Whakatāne District Council’s recent long term plan consultation process, suggesting that the facility could be closed on Sundays during the winter months, when visitor numbers are low. Community Services General Manager Mike Naude says that after discussing the proposal with staff, the closure would be implemented on a trial basis, beginning on Sunday, 1 July and running through to Sunday, 30 September.

“Normal Sunday opening hours – 10 am–2 pm – will resume on the first Sunday in October, with the Horizon Energy Group Whakatāne Library and the Museum exhibition spaces open for public use through the summer/autumn season, when demand is typically higher,” he says. “We’ll evaluate customer feedback on this change and then think about the policy for 2019 and beyond.”