{"id":223594,"date":"2018-11-21T22:03:03","date_gmt":"2018-11-21T12:03:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=223594"},"modified":"2020-07-26T14:04:21","modified_gmt":"2020-07-26T04:04:21","slug":"council-plans-library-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/11\/21\/council-plans-library-upgrade\/","title":{"rendered":"Council Plans Library Upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nanango’s library and the former Nanango Shire Council Chambers will be getting a significant refurbishment soon to extend the building’s life another 30 years<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

November 21, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

The South Burnett Regional Council plans to upgrade Nanango’s library and administration building soon.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, a Council spokesperson said the building had not had any significant money spent on it since it was built in the 1960s.<\/p>\n

It was now in need of a substantial upgrade due to failing infrastructure, safety issues and mounting maintenance costs.<\/p>\n

The building houses 70 Council staff and is an important community hub for Council\u2019s administrative and library services in Nanango. <\/strong><\/p>\n

“Council is committed to maintaining a strong presence in the South Burnett’s major towns to ensure services are easily accessible for the community,” Mayor Keith Campbell said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have been aware the Nanango library and administration building has been failing for some time.<\/p>\n

“Old wiring has already contributed to two electrical fires at the site.<\/p>\n

“The air conditioning unit is over 30 years old, regularly malfunctioning and in need of replacement because of the scarcity and high cost of parts.<\/p>\n

“The building’s external, internal and sub-floors have been severely damaged over time by water leaks caused by multiple unstaged builds and failing internal box gutters.\u201d<\/p>\n

In April last year, the Council engaged an external engineering firm to produce a detailed condition assessment of the building, which confirmed its poor state. <\/strong><\/p>\n

It then investigated three possible solutions including refurbishing the existing building, demolishing and rebuilding on the existing site, or building new on a greenfield site.<\/p>\n

“The condition report, teamed with a cost-benefit analysis of the building’s ongoing maintenance needs, have all indicated that it is time to upgrade the building,” Mayor Campbell said.<\/p>\n

“Costs involved with demolishing and rebuilding the facility were prohibitive, so Council has determined the best option is refurbishment.”<\/p>\n

The Mayor said Council would be calling tenders for the construction and modifications soon.<\/p>\n

Council has appointed HM Architects to design the upgrade.<\/p>\n

It will feature maintenance and energy efficiency improvements, structural repairs, new electrical wiring, new roofing and guttering as well as upgrades to the library and community facilities.<\/p>\n

It is expected the project will extend the building\u2019s life by more than 30 years.<\/p>\n