It was my pleasure on Friday to declare Ashburton’s new library and civic centre officially open, even though I’ve had my feet under the desk here since the start of the year.

Te Whare Whakatere is a building that first became a concept back in 2004 and there have been many people along that way that helped bring it to life. It is a building for the community that has exceeded our expectations, and we’re thrilled.

Every day I see visitors and staff using the library and public spaces for all sorts of activities, meetings and business get-togethers. During the school holidays is it even busier – on Monday this week there were 90 children taking the free opportunity to learn some rudimentary science and make bouncy balls.

On other days there are knitters who gather in one space, migrants practising their English in another, tourists looking for information, and yet others meeting for coffee and a bite to eat.

I’ve enjoyed seeing how Baring Square East has become connected to Te Whare Whakatere, and how people are using this outdoor space to each lunch, or meet friends. The whole square was a great venue for the Hakatere Noodle Festival recently and I look forward to seeing its Christmas face for Light up the Night in late November.

This building will be an anchor for our community for decades.

It was good to visit another Council building project recently that is in its very early stages – I’m referring to the rebuilding of 16 new affordable housing units for the elderly at Friendship Lane.

Eight duplexes (two units in each) that were built in the 1970s have been demolished and eight new ones are under construction. When we visited the site recently, the boxing for the floors was nearly complete, and the first concrete pours under way; the framework will go up quickly next.

This project will be a real boost to the quality of stock of elderly persons housing units in Ashburton and it has also qualified for a Government grant from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The whole rebuild is expected to cost around $4 million, and 43 per cent of the final cost will be covered by the grant, so we really appreciate the contribution.

Council’s aim is to get the Elderly Persons Housing portfolio to the stage where it is self-funded by the rents people pay. Our part is to ensure those housing units are warm and healthy well into the future.