Merri-bek Council is investing in its library network, with plans to revamp the Fawkner Library and replace the Coburg Library.
The Fawkner Library, located at 77 Jukes Road, will receive a significant upgrade, with the majority of funding coming from the council. The main outlay is expected to be spread in the 2027-28/2028-29 financial years.
The library, which opened in 1968, is part of a community hub precinct that includes the C.B. Smith Reserve, a leisure center, and various health facilities. It has already undergone several upgrades, including energy-efficiency works and refurbishment in recent years.
The council has committed $1.9 million to the redevelopment, with an additional $700,000 coming from the state government’s Living Libraries Infrastructure Program.
New Coburg Library and Piazza
The new Coburg Library will be part of a $60 million project that includes a piazza. The winning design, unveiled in March, features a four-storey library with digital learning spaces and facilities for creative and cultural programs.
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The piazza will span two-thirds of the parcel and include seating, lawn, and trees. Construction is scheduled to start in 2028, with completion expected in 2029.
The current Coburg Library, which opened in 1983 in a former supermarket, is no longer deemed fit for purpose.
The library and piazza form the first stage of a broader plan to revitalise central Coburg, retaining components of the redundant Coburg Initiative, which grew out of Council’s 2006 Central Coburg 2020 Structure Plan. Later stages will add c1000 dwellings, offices, retail and six parks.
The sale of the former Glenroy Library, the first purpose-built library in the municipality, to the Adelaide-based Briars Group in August 2024 is noted. The Brutalist-inspired building, designed by architect Harry Winbush, has been repurposed as a medical center.
