Australia’s first community hub dedicated to the reuse and repair of household electronics has opened its doors at Sydney’s Green Square.
The City of Sydney’s Banga Community Shed will provide space for people to meet, learn, and share skills. The shed now houses a tool library and hosts a weekly repair café, electronic skills workshops, and a tagging and testing service.
Housed in the former pathology building of the historic South Sydney Hospital site, the Banga Community Shed sits in the inner-city neighbourhood’s award-winning Joynton Avenue cultural precinct.
The centre was officially opened by Lord Mayor Clover Moore on Saturday 2 March 2018.
“The beautiful new Banga Community Shed will be a fantastic community space for the growing number of inner-city residents who are keen to tinker, create and learn new skills in the workshop,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Banga means ‘make’ or ‘do’ in Gadigal language, a perfect name for a building that will host workshops for people to learn new skills to repair and reuse electronic items that may otherwise go to landfill.
“The Banga Community Shed is part of a wonderful new precinct here in the heart of Green Square that includes the Joynton Avenue Creative Centre, childcare facilities, parks and new public artwork.”
The community shed is run by charity co-operative, The Bower. General Manager Guido Verbist says the unique community space was inspired by the men’s shed movement.
“We’re working to support men and women achieve better health and wellbeing through a range of practical activities – just like those traditionally carried out in backyard sheds,” Mr Verbist said.
“We’ve operated a furniture reuse and repair café in Marrickville for twenty years, and we’ve seen the need for a dedicated space for electrical donations and repairs of electronic goods, such as appliances, whitegoods, audio equipment and much more.
“Banga will be the only dedicated hub for reuse and repair of electronics that we know of, making it an Australian first.
“The ‘right to repair’ movement is still in its infancy in Australia, and Banga will be its epicentre. Banga Community Shed will open its doors and workspace for everybody who wants to engage in the movement.
“This space is unique in its concept and its mission and we’re delighted that the City of Sydney has given us the opportunity to establish the community repair hub in Zetland.”
Activities and services provided at Banga include:
- electronic skills workshops
- repair café for electronic items
- testing and tagging of electronic items
- tool library for electronic items
- paid repair service
- drop off for preloved electronic items.
