The new library is taking shape, with concrete panels and structural steel frames installed on the site.
The new library is taking shape, with concrete panels and structural steel frames installed on the site.
Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga, South Taranaki’s new library, art and information centre, has started to take shape.
South Taranaki District Council project co-ordinator Phil Waite says progress is noticeable with 18 pre-cast tilt-slab concrete panels installed along the eastern boundary wall, and 10 of the structural steel frames made byHāwera engineering firm Croucher and Crowder on the western side.
“The focus over the next month will be the delivery and assembly of more structural steel elements, such as roof trusses, as well as installation of the remaining concrete tilt slab walls.”
Once the building is finished, about 80,000kg of steelwork and reinforcing steel will have gone into the project, and about 380 cubic metres of concrete.
South Taranaki District Mayor Phil Nixon says the long-awaited project is a key part of the council’s post-Covid economic growth and Hāwera town centre revitalisation strategy.
“The new facility will transform the town centre. The modern, multifunctional community facility will provide residents and visitors to the district with a wide range of services, information, cultural and educational resources. These include a library, art gallery, i-Site visitor centre, cafe, and public toilets. Te Ramanui o Ruapūtahanga will not only be a community and visitor hub, but it will also be a catalyst for driving change, creating economic stimulus and increasing investment in the town centre.”
So far almost $7 million in external funding has been secured for the project, with major contributions from the TOI Foundation ($2.8 million) and $4 million from the Government’s Kānoa – Regional Economic Development and Infrastructure Investment Fund.
