Source: Porirua City Council
The new Cannons Creek Library opened today, with the community getting their first look at the modern space that blends functionality with culture and sustainable elements.
The library was blessed at dawn on Friday morning by Ngāti Toa kaumatua Dr Taku Parai, and gifted its name Ngā Kete Mātauranga – which means baskets of knowledge.
Ngā Kete Mātauranga opened its doors to the public today, with a day of free activities, performances, storytelling, wā takaro / play trailer, and kai. The celebrations included storytelling in the new children’s area with Inangaro Vakaafi and Moira Wairama, sharing myths from Aotearoa and the Pacific.
The previous, and second, Cannons Creek Library was established in a former draper’s shop on Warspite Ave in 1985 (the first was on Cannons Creek Park from 1969 to 1985) but a report last year noted that although it was a popular community space, it had limited natural light and heating, inadequate staff areas and not enough seating or study space.
The new Ngā Kete Mātauranga is located on Bedford Reserve, next to Cannons Creek Pool. It was constructed offsite and moved onto its new home in July. It has plenty of space for the community to utilise and because it is modular, can be adjusted inside depending on future needs for staff and users.
While it has a new building air about it, a closer look reveals a number of sustainable features from elsewhere, including pieces of Porirua’s oldest homestead.
Porirua Libraries manager Brian Anderson says a number of features give it a modern look and feel, along with sustainable elements that make it even more pleasing for Council budgets.
“One of the coolest aspects is the native timber we’ve recycled,” Brian says.
“Rimu and matai have been salvaged from Gear Homestead, including the enclosed balcony that was removed from the homestead in the 1990s. While much of the balcony was rotten, the usable parts were put in storage.
“It’s a really nice touch having a bit of Porirua’s history in a brand new building – something that will last even more generations than Gear Homestead has been standing.
“Libraries are all about reusing and recirculating, so it is fitting to have done that with the building as well.”
Other sustainable features of the new Cannons Creek Library include:
- A reception desk made partially from recycled linoleum flooring
- A water tank that captures stormwater to be used for flushing the toilets
- Wall hangings made from recycled products
- The carpet, 100 per cent of which has been recycled and is easy to clean
- High-energy and LED lighting for efficiency
- Double-glazing around all of the building, meaning less heating required inside.
Brian says in his 37 years working in in libraries in Porirua, this is only the second newly built library, after Whitby’s in the late 1980s – other libraries in the city have had renovations or upgrades.
“It is very special, a once in a career moment for me.”
Another special aspect of Ngā Kete Mātauranga are the design elements that feature imagery significant to mana whenua Ngāti Toa and the Porirua east location.
These include the tuna (eels) that were plentiful in the nearby waterways, and ruru.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says she’s delighted that the eastern suburbs of Porirua now have a library that is worthy of them.
“Cannons Creek library has always been really popular with local tamariki and schools so it’s wonderful to be able to open this lovely new space for them to use and enjoy. There’s so much more room, both inside and outside, and with play equipment coming soon to the reserve the whole area will be pretty special.”
Funding for the new library comes from existing budgets in Council’s 2024-34 Long-term Plan.