PAIHIA LIBRARY AMNESTY QUIETLY WIPES $340 OF MAYORAL DVD FINES
Whangārei District Council's goodwill gesture has retroactively pardoned the mayor's five-year hold on 'The Bourne Supremacy'.
A fine amnesty rolled out by the Paihia branch of the Whangārei District Library this month has, entirely by accident, cleared the mayor's outstanding DVD fines dating back to 2019. That includes a copy of The Bourne Supremacy that has never been returned!
The amnesty was pitched as a way to bring lapsed borrowers back. Council reckoned around 400 locals owed small amounts on overdue kids' books. What the press release did not mention was that the single biggest beneficiary was the mayor.
Librarian Anahera Beazley, who's worked the Paihia desk for eleven years, said she'd flagged it internally and been told to "let it go through". "Three hundred and forty dollars," she said. "That's Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum, two seasons of Outrageous Fortune and a Jamie Oliver. He's had the Jamie Oliver since before the merger."
A council spokesperson said the amnesty had been "applied consistently across all account holders regardless of position". Asked whether the mayor would be returning the DVDs, the spokesperson said that was "a separate matter".
Ratepayer Denise Corliss queued twenty minutes on Tuesday to pay off an $8.50 fine on a Lee Child, then heard about the amnesty on the way out. "Piss-take, frankly," she said. She's requested a refund. Council has requested she fill out a form.
The Bourne Supremacy remains, per library records, "in circulation".
Know someone this is about? Send it to them.
Spotted something like this in your area?
Send us a photo and a sentence. We'll write the article.
SUBMIT A YARN →Free. Anonymous if you want. Takes 60 seconds.
Reader Letters
kerikeri_karen
Bloody typical council nonsense!
CulinaryCynic
Why would anyone need to keep a Jamie Oliver DVD for years? His recipes aren't that special. If the mayor can't return his items, what hope is there for actual accountability? This kind of behaviour just roots the public's trust.
RatepayerRod
Let's be honest, how else do you lose $340 in late fees if not for a council cover-up? All this while Denise can barely get her measly $8.50 back. Ever considered why things keep getting rooted around here? Mate, open your eyes!
Dave_in_Northland
@RatepayerRod, mate, you're making this sound way darker than it actually is. It's just DVDs and a mishandled amnesty, not a bloody conspiracy.
PennyPincher
$340? That's practically their annual revenue!
LibraryLad
Mate, why do you care so much about council revenue? It's a library, not a bloody business.
tired_in_paihia
This whole thing is a huge shit show. First the DVDs, next it'll be the rates. Watch out, they'll probably start charging admission just to walk into the council!
Concerned_Citizen
Honestly, I feel for Anahera. Imagine working the desk, knowing people can't return their DVDs because they've rooted themselves in council bureaucracy. At the very least, the mayor should apologise. It's not about the fines, it's the principle of mali ai.