Repair Café Surf Coast gets back to work

REPAIR Café Surf Coast is up and running for its third consecutive year.

Aireys Inlet hosted the first session for 2019 earlier in February, which saw several items repaired and saved from ending up in landfill.

Co-founder Jo Murray admitted to being more than a little excited about the next session, which will see the community driven, waste-saving initiative held in Torquay for the first time on Sunday, March 3.

“Last year, we ventured from our regular base in Aireys Inlet into Bellbrae and Anglesea, which proved very successful, so we’re really looking forward to further expanding the café into Torquay,” Ms Murray said.

“Our volunteers will be on hand at the Surf Coast Sport and Recreation Centre between 10am and 2pm to share their skills and fix items.

More importantly, they will be helping people resist our modern throwaway culture by repairing rather than tossing broken items in the bin.

“Over our nine sessions last year, we received close to 290 items for repair, from a small earring weighing no more than 1g to much heavier items, such as a clothes dryer and rocking armchair.

“In all, our café sessions saved an estimated 741kg from landfill, which was a significant increase from 2017’s estimated 523kg.”

The Surf Coast Shire supported last year’s Repair Café Surf Coast program via its 2018 Small Grants program.

“This is a terrific program that aligns perfectly with Council’s aim to improve the reuse of resources, so it’s fantastic to see it grow and to provide our community with such a positive, proactive example of how to live more sustainably,” shire mayor Rose Hodge said.

Repair Café sessions take place from 10am to 2pm.

The next two sessions will be held on Sunday, March 3 at the Surf Coast Sport and Recreation Centre in Beach Road, Torquay and April 7 at the Anglesea Memorial Hall in McMillan Street, Anglesea.