The Alice Springs Public library is one of the few free air-conditioned spaces in town where people can get away from the heat in summer. Unfortunately it shuts at 1pm on weekends, leaving library patrons with nowhere to go in the hottest part of the day. This beloved and essential public space should stay open through to 6 every day of the week, especially in summer.

In Central Australia we all know peak summer means weeks and sometimes months of relentless, exhausting 40+ degree days. I used to work at the library, and was always struck by how it operated as a heat shelter, seeing people queue up to get in at the start of the day, and stay until we finally closed up. It always seemed wrong to me that the weekend closing time meant kicking people out into the scorching heat.

It’s only going to get hotter, and having free public spaces that are open to everyone in the hottest part of the day is a simple and essential thing the new Alice Springs Town Council can do to keep our community safe from heat. 

Join me in urging the Alice Springs Town Council and library management to extend the weekend opening hours of the Alice Springs Public Library later into the afternoon so people can stay safe on hot days.

Sign this petition to voice your support for a cooler, safer, and more accessible Alice Springs for everyone.