Organised by South Dunedin Library community programmes co-ordinator Lee Nicholson, in conjunction with the Dunedin Gasworks Museum, Com2Tech and Stitch Kitchen, the Repair Station will welcome people with a broad range of items needing repair — from textiles to tech, small appliances to musical instruments. The event will run from 10am-2pm.
Gasworks Museum Trust chairman Jonathan Cweorth said representatives of these groups will be on hand to provide advice and support with repairs for koha during the event.
"We are thrilled to have the Repair Station in the new, well-equipped Makerspace at South Dunedin Library, where it will be right in the heart of the festival," Mr Cweorth said.
"It will also be in keeping with the festival’s goal of being a zero waste event."
Mr Nicolson, who co-manages the Makerspace, is an expert repairer of tech items himself and has ideas for creating a permanent database of repair skills and for using the library as a meeting point between repairers and those needing their skills.
Saturday’s Repair Station is a trial run for the concept, to see if the Makerspace can become such a hub.
"If people have a place they know they can come and access that kind of expertise, and where there are materials and tools to use, then it would make a real difference to many people’s lives," he said.
Saturday’s event will also include a Linux Pop-Up from 10am-2pm, where Com2Tech volunteers will be on hand to help people upgrade their computers to the free open source Linux software.
"For those struggling with the cost of upgrading their devices, switching to Linux could be a very good solution."
Com2Tech general manager Amy Souquet said the organisation, which operated out of a workshop at 105 Harrow St, was always looking for ways to support non-profits and businesses with repurposed tech.
Since Com2Tech had moved to the site in 2024, it had repurposed and recycled 25 tonnes of e-waste.
"We are also partnered with the wonderful Re-Store and Cargill Enterprises to gather devices to repurpose or recycle," Ms Souquet said.
Com2Tech is working towards a project to site collection bins at community centres and libraries where such tech items could be deposited.
Com2Tech and the South Dunedin Library Makerspace is also collaborating on a future robotics programme for children using repurposed tech.
Mr Nicolson said these and other projects would help to increase the visibility and accessibility to repair services in Dunedin.
"There are a lot of clever people out there doing this work."
Mr Nicolson paid tribute to the local organisations which were really getting behind the creation of a repair hub, in particular Com2Tech and Cargill Enterprises.
"Their support is truly invaluable," he said.
