A mobile library truck that services small towns across the Riverina has ceased operations amid an assets dispute with Wagga City Council.
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The Riverina Regional Library's mobile service visits 21 regional communities within the Coolamon, Federation, Greater Hume, Lockhart, Snowy Valleys and Temora local government areas, using a truck and trailer reportedly worth $269,000.
However, when Wagga council ceased as the collective's executive council on June 30, RRL members said it declined to sign over registration papers for the mobile library truck and trailer to Coolamon Shire Council, which will now take the role.
The RRL network was created in 1978 and provides library services - both static and mobile - across multiple council areas in the region.
RRL chairwoman and Junee Shire councillor Pam Halliburton said without the mobile library, the group had no way of serving participating communities.
"I just cannot understand why Wagga council has refused to exchange the registration papers ... when it really belongs to the Riverina Regional Library," she said.
The council has offered to lease the truck and trailer.
"Why do they expect the Riverina Regional Library to sign a lease for $3567.18 a month to lease its own vehicle?" Cr Halliburton said.
"Our lawyers have said that that is untenable.
"I feel that Wagga City Council is holding the Riverina Regional Library to ransom and that it has been grossly unfair to the 21 communities in the six local council areas which have mobile library visitations."
The two sides have each said they will invoke an outside party to help arbitrate the dispute, with the council arguing it remains the vehicle's registered owner.
General manager Peter Thompson said the council was the key provider of RRL funds during its time as executive council and would not hand over accumulated assets for nothing.
"WWCC maintains that as the Wagga community has contributed 46 per cent of all the funds over the past five years, the community should receive a share of the assets which reflects that contribution," he said in a statement.
"These funds will be applied directly to funding the new library service in the Wagga area.
"The large mobile library truck is a good example."
Mr Thompson said the council had made efforts to resolve the issue before it ended its involvement.
"As it stands right now WWCC has made a number of attempts to make the truck available for the use of the other councils in delivering their library services, while the broader dispute is resolved," he said.
"The councils have declined to take up these proposals for reasons which WWCC doesn't understand."
According to Mr Thompson, the council withdrew from RRL after the latest agreement ended on June 30 due to a disagreement with other participating councils about an increase and diversification in mobile library services to the Wagga region.
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Wagga local and retired public servant Sharon Ruehmkorff was concerned about the impact of ceasing the mobile library service to regional communities.
"I've got a very strong background in community service ... so I'm very much aware of how much these services actually work and how they create a regular point of contact with somebody outside the community," she said.
"They're not just about the library, they are much more about community connection and community support.
Mrs Ruehmkorff, who encountered the truck at Gerogery Public School, said it was one of the most sophisticated mobile libraries she'd seen.
"It's a very good service," she said.
"My concern is that we seem to have a council here in Wagga that is becoming more and more centrist and isolated from the region.
"They're pulling a mobile service that connects communities - the look is not good for Wagga council."
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