Burwood Council and Library officially open

Published on 24 August 2020

A traditional smoking ceremony and 20 official guests marked the COVID-safe official opening of a transformational new project in the heart of Burwood on Saturday.

Plans for a large community celebration and open day to mark the official opening of the new $15 million Burwood Council and Library had to be shelved due to COVID-19, but Saturday’s event included community and business representatives, as well as the architects and builders who brought the project to reality.

Burwood Mayor John Faker said the project, which blended the expanded library with a new Council customer service centre and the original council building, was a legacy for future generations.

“This transformational project is the realisation of a vision to create a space that reflects our rich history, our thriving present and our optimism for the future” he said.

“This building and the adjacent community hub, linked by a skybridge, fuses council’s day-to-day service with our library and all its wonderful new facilities, creating a physical and symbolic heart for our community.”

Those facilities include multi-media studios, interactive digital lounges and learning labs where people can hone their creative skills, as well as a garden amphitheatre that can be a quiet reading room then transform into a movie theatre.

“It also allows a more sensible and flexible use of space, such as the Council meeting room, which will double as a conference room when not in use,” Cr Faker said.