Council Told How To Repair Library

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31223, 22 November 1966, Page 3

Council Told How To Repair Library

(New Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN, November 21.

In the battle to save Queenstown’s old stone library several attacks have been launched on the Queenstown Borough Council, but so far, the council has not retaliated.

Members of the council did “parley” with the besieging forces on Saturday, but the Mayor. Mr G. D. Cochrane, was visiting the West Coast today and was not available for comment. On his return he will face a solicitor’s letter which was handed to the council on Friday asking the council to reconsider its decision against retention of the library. It gave the council seven days to indicate that it would not take action on the demolition of the library building. If no reply is received the Queenstown and District His-

torical Society will probably seek an injunction to restrain the council for a year so that a legal petition may be circulated.

On Saturday afternoon, councillors, at the invitation of the society, heard Mr J. G. Hanlon, a Dunedin structural engineer, speak on the old library building.

Mr Hanlon said that with modern techniques of reinforcing and repairing, the library could be “enormously strengthened.” He said the building would stand for another 50 years without any work being done on it