Movies back in town

CINEMA COMING TO TOWN: Dargaville cinema trustees Jacoba Puharich, front left, and Josie Scott. Back: Dennis Honore, supporters Darlene Lang and Grant Waldron.

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The fiction section of the Dargaville library in Hokianga Rd is to become a cinema.

A council decision in January to relocate the library closer to town paved the way for the Dargaville Community Cinema Trust to seek the space.

The library is expected to relocate by May and the trust hopes to move in straight away.

Before giving its approval the Kaipara District Council heard a moving speech from trust spokeswoman Jacoba Puharich.

"Do it for the young, the old, the elderly, do it for everyone" she said.

Mrs Puharich said it was about time the movies came to town. "We've been saying let's bring back the movies since the Empire Theatre closed down.

"There's a couple of generations of kids around here who don't even remember ever having a movie theatre."

Kaipara mayor Neil Tiller said there had been some comments on Dargaville's Facebook page about the library move being bad for the town.

"But I disagree, it's something we can do for very little money."

Afterwards Mrs Puharich said: "We needed a place where we could have our own equipment and to give us an opportunity to fundraise.

"And from my experience this opportunity we have been given doesn't come up very often."

Trustee member Josie Scott says the library is ideal for a movie theatre with its high ceilings and the trust expects to fund the cinema through grants, ticket sales and food sales.

"We plan to pilot some different ideas for it to happen and we've got the energy and commitment to do it."

- © Fairfax NZ News