Visits to the library with the kids are fun times for all families. The delight on young faces when they select books that excite them is infectious. Older generations love libraries because they're an escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and on the shelves are thousands of books that stimulate their imaginations or thirst for knowledge. The sense of achievement researchers experience when they find a key fact is fulfilling.

Libraries are all things to all people.

Warrnambool's library as we know it will be transformed into a learning hub in a couple of years after the state government last year allocated $16.3 million to a joint library being established between the city council and South West TAFE. The council will tip in $3.12million and TAFE $830,000.

The expectations are the facility, to be built on the TAFE campus, will become a community hub. The vision is exciting; it won't be anything like what the existing library is today. But at what cost?

This week we revealed the cost of Warrnambool's library to the council (read ratepayers) has jumped more than 70 per cent in the past six years. Patronage is down. Last financial year ratepayers subsidised the library to the tune of almost $1 million.

Cr Peter Hulin is questioning why.

He is also questioning the need for the new facility and the $3.12 million that ratepayers will fork out.

Residents have made it clear they have had enough of rising rates, especially after the council received permission to lift them above the state government regulated cap. Every dollar spent needs to be critically examined by the council - are ratepayers getting bang for their bucks?

What does the financial plan for the new library look like? Will council's contribution cost more than now? Will TAFE pick up the tab? Who will employ staff, the council or TAFE? What happens to the Corangamite Regional Library Corporation, which currently runs the city library along with others across the region through funds from councils? There are plenty of questions but no answers yet. No doubt the details are being worked on. But it's time the community was brought into the fold.

The library costs were detailed in the city council's latest annual report, which also revealed Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum's costs and increasing staff numbers at city hall.

It was another bad week for the racing industry with Yangery trainer Jarrod McLean at the centre of a fresh scandal. Details emerged the day after the racing industry came under fire for its treatment of horses at the end of their careers.

A big talking point this week was the discovery of a cannabis grow-house in a quiet street in Warrnambool's north. More than 260 cannabis plants worth up to $1 million were discovered when police raided the house where no-one lived. It was surprising such an elaborate set up had been created in a residential Warrnambool street but grow-houses are increasingly popping up in regional centres where rents are cheaper than Melbourne.

Warrnambool's housing market is booming but agents are experiencing their worst shortage of listings in 40 years.

The revamped Warrnambool Show is on next Saturday. For your chance to win one of eight double passes, click here.

Congratulations to the winners of last week's giveaway - double passes to the new movie Pavarotti. The winners were: Adele Griffin, Kerrie McKenzie, Carolyn Howe, Shirley Sharp, Michael McArlein, Louise Endean, Wayne Hopkins, Theo Hnarakis, Karen Johnson, Jacinta Mahoney.

We are continuing to review our products and appreciate the feedback loyal readers provide. You may have noticed that the digital edition of the newspaper is now available from 4am. And soon we will launch an option for you to have Today's Paper delivered to your inbox every morning.

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Thanks again for taking the time to give me your thoughts, we discuss them as a team regularly and are working to deliver what you want.

Here's a selection of other stories that made headlines this week.

Until next week,