In short:
Wyndham City is urging the Victorian Government to restore a 50/50 funding partnership for public libraries after a parliamentary inquiry found councils are carrying an increasing share of the cost. With more than one million annual library visits and rapid population growth, the council says greater state investment is needed to keep services sustainable.
Library Funding Under Review
Wyndham City is ramping up pressure on the Victorian Government to provide greater funding for public libraries, arguing the municipality’s rapid population growth is placing increasing strain on services while state funding has failed to keep pace.
The call comes as Victoria heads towards the November state election, with Wyndham positioning library funding as a key issue for one of the state’s fastest-growing communities.
Through its recently adopted 2026/27 Annual Plan and Budget, Wyndham City has allocated $11.9 million to maintain and enhance library services. However, the council says local funding alone is no longer enough to meet demand.
A Wyndham City spokesperson said the municipality’s libraries were under growing pressure as the population continues to expand.
“Through Council’s Annual Plan and Budget 2026/27, libraries will receive $11.9 million to maintain and enhance library services.”
“Wyndham’s libraries are experiencing high demand due to the municipality’s rapid population growth. However, funding for library services has not kept pace, leading to challenges in maintaining high-quality services.”
The council’s latest figures highlight the scale of demand. During the past year, Wyndham’s libraries recorded 1,054,656 visitors, with 1,677,331 physical books and other items borrowed.
Residents also accessed 315,247 digital loans, spent more than 3.3 million minutes using public computers and more than 130,000 people attended library programs.
Shifting Costs, a Major Concern
Wyndham argues the growing gap between demand and funding is partly the result of cost shifting from the Victorian Government onto local councils.
The council has pointed to a recent Victorian Parliamentary inquiry, which found the State Government had failed to maintain the long-standing 50/50 shared funding agreement for public libraries, placing a significant financial burden on councils.
“A Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry found that the Victorian Government has failed to maintain a 50/50 shared funding agreement for public libraries, placing a significant burden on local councils,” the spokesperson said.
The council is backing the inquiry’s recommendation that the Victorian Government restore the equal funding arrangement.
“We support the Inquiry’s recommendation that the Victorian Government should restore a shared funding agreement of 50/50 with local councils for the operation of public libraries.”
With Wyndham continuing to add thousands of new residents each year, the council says restoring the funding partnership will be critical to ensuring libraries can continue to meet growing community demand without placing further pressure on local ratepayers.
