Auckland Council has finally agreed to cover the $3.8 million funding shortfall to replace the leaky and rundown Devonport library.

Plans have been in place for a decade to upgrade the library but a North Shore Council commissioned design in 2010 budgeted just half the $7.8m needed to replace the building.

Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chairman Chris Darby says the deteriorating state of the library urged him to tell Auckland Council the upgrade could not be put off any longer.

"The thermal performance isn't up to standard, nor is the waterproofing," Mr Darby says.

"You go down there on a rainy day and staff are having to sandbag the front door to keep the water out."

And according to a business report put forward by the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board the main library building has significant structural deficiencies and would be classified as an earthquake risk.

Mr Darby is very pleased to hear the funding has been approved and allocated within the next two years.

"Some people in our community go in to the library for an experience for half an hour but they do not see the systemic problems.

"But we cannot keep masking it with Band-Aid after Band-Aid because those Band-Aids are costing us every day," he says.

The existing budget of $4.1m was based on a concept design which had significant costing omissions such as demolition and relocation costs.

Devonport library was built on the current site on Windsor Reserve in 1953 and has had several alterations over the years but the actual library space, 502 square metres, has not increased in size since 1969.

The proposed plans for the library include a mezzanine level and 850sqm of library space with an additional community space.

Mr Darby believes the new library will be a significant example of public architecture in Devonport.

The major costs budgeted for the new library include construction costs of $2.79m, the Victoria Rd streetscape at $1m and consultant fees of $848,000.

- © Fairfax NZ News