Central Wellington road closed as emergency services rush to fire
Emergency services attend a fire on Boulcott Street, Wellington.
Photo:
RNZ / Mark Papalii
Emergency services have blocked off a central Wellington street to all but residents.
There were ambulances at the corner of Boulcott and Church Streets about 2pm on Thursday, and as many as seven firetrucks and at least three police cars.
There is a smell of smoke in the air, but no flames are visible.
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Twenty years and some earthquake damage later, it had lost its lustre and "leaked like a sieve". Retirement had crossed Jill's mind but she couldn't leave with the new library on the horizon and the lure of a new bright and vibrant space that is "two-and-a-half times the size". "I wanted to be part of the move and make sure we could offer the modern services and programmes that were right for this building." During the planning phase for Te Whare Whakatere, Jill said she never expected the community to tell the council to build the bigger, more expensive option. After a year-and-a-half in the new $62.1m library and civic centre, Jill believes it was worth it as the place is buzzing. The new building sparked a doubling of visitor numbers and pushed up borrowing rates. She said one of the best things about the new library is they have built lots of nooks and crannies. "You can find a chair in a corner that will be perfectly quiet and just look at the window. 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Ashburton Library also offers a long list of diverse programmes and learning opportunities, the result of a "staff that overachieves on you". The days of a librarian shushing people are also long gone, she said. The new library, Te Kete Tuhinga, is a busy space with people constantly buzzing about - a far cry from the low point of Covid when the old downtrodden library was empty and the patronage was slow to return post-lockdowns. One of the hardest parts of the job was when a previous council introduced fees, including a per-book charge, she said. The fees and fines have been phased out over time making the library more accessible, and much to Jill's delight the last of those - a reservation fee - was removed this year. Jill's monumental milestone was marked at the recent council meeting where people and facilities group manager Sarah Mosley said 50 years of service was "hard to fathom". "[Jill's] dedication and passion has left an indelible mark on the Ashburton community". 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"One of the things I've looked forward to for years is getting out on frosty days at about 10am instead of 7:30am, and then getting inside to light the fire at 4:30pm instead of coming home in the dark to a cold house." Retirement holds more time on her small farm at Chertsey with some sheep and "a bit of a garden". "I'm looking at one of those robots that now the lawns because it's my least favourite part of living there." She breeds and shows dogs - norwich terriers. One of them is a well-known figure, with Riffraff the children's reading dog at the library for several years but now retired. Jill and her dog Riff Raff in the children's library. Photo: LDR/Supplied Jill said she plans to continue to spend the summers travelling to dog shows in her caravan. "I think I will still be very busy. "I've also got a pile of books I've been meaning to read." Unsurprisingly, the long-serving librarian loves to read. 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