14 February 2026
The Greens have announced today that they will push to review the adequacy of funding arrangements for local libraries and advocate for increased funding when parliament resumes after the election.
Key facts:
- February 14 is Library Lovers' Day celebrating the vital role of libraries in the community
- The Australian Services Union (ASU) represents library workers and is advocating for a range of measures including an immediate 5% increase in state government funding, an independent review of the funding framework, social workers in libraries and a social responsibility levy to be applied to institutions like Australia Post and the banks that rely on libraries when they close their services in the regions
Quotes attributable to Robert Simms MLC
"The Greens are proud to back the ASU's campaign to support library workers this Library Lovers Day. Libraries are the beating heart of our communities; they should be resourced appropriately.
“It is concerning that so many of our institutions are outsourcing work to libraries without appropriate support. With banks and post offices moving away from face-to-face service delivery our libraries are becoming the first point of call for many in our community."
"The Greens will be urging the next state government to review funding arrangements to look at how best to support libraries in the long term."
"We have advocated for banks to be held to account for regional branch closures for some time and will promote a levy being applied to institutions that close their doors and outsource work to libraries. We urge the Labor and Liberal parties to match our commitment.”