Designs for Broken Hill’s new library unveiled despite project facing spiralling costs

While Broken Hill City Council has unveiled the designs for the city's new $14.5 million library, the project is facing spiralling costs.

Costs on the project have increased by around 80% over the last 12 months due to inflation, forcing a complete redesign of the project in order for it to go ahead.

The new design incorporates all the features requested by the community in a new facility, such as improved areas for children and families, and a dedicated ‘keeping place’ to help preserve local Aboriginal history.

The project has also been split into two stages, with the library portion to be completed first, and the archives to follow as funding becomes available.

All archives content is currently safely stored at Council’s Administrative Centre and work continues to digitise the city's historical artefacts so they can be showcased online in future.

Council will now prepare Development Application (DA) documentation for planning assessment and begin work on a detailed design, with the aim of starting contraction in late 2023.

The project will also see the ground floor of Council's Blende Street Administrative Centre converted into a temporary library to allow the library service to continue during construction of the new facility at the rear of the Town Hall facade.

Work on the temporary library is expected to commence in late July.

Mayor Tom Kennedy thanked all staff, architects, and other contractors for their work in keeping the project viable, and thanked the public for their patience.

The new library and archives project is funded by the NSW Government, Federal Government, and Council.