Broken chair? Blown amp? Busted washing machine? They don’t have to be thrown away! These Mid Mountains fixers and makers will revive them.
Key Points:
Waste is a huge global problem with 99 percent of new purchases getting thrown away within 6 months.
Repairing, mending, repurposing and regifting can reduce waste going into landfill.
Here in the Mid Mountains we have a plethora of repairers and makers, swappers and repurposers ready to help extend the life of our goods.
In the Japanese art of Kintsugi, or ‘golden joinery,’ a lacquer mixed with powered gold is used to visibly repair broken ceramics. The artwork honours the imperfection, highlighting the breakage as part of the object’s history, rather than using it as a reason to throw the thing away. While the practice can be viewed as both art and philosophy, it is also quite simply… waste-reducing.
This results in 2,120,000,000 tons of waste being dumped on the planet every year.
Whether for the sake of art, like Kintsugi, or for the environment, mending, fixing, repurposing, regifting and repairing things instead of throwing them away are simple ways we can reduce these numbers. Here in the Blue Mountains, the ease of disposability is being challenged and matched by fixers, menders and repairers of all sorts. Below is a guide to a few excellent options you will find in the Mid Mountains.
Not quite kintsugi, but philosophically aligned, this visibly mended garment by Mid Mountains’ Robyn Maloney embraces the ‘imperfection’ and extends its life.
Needle vs Thread
From the owner: “Needle vs Thread is a multidisciplinary design studio and upholstery workshop based in Hazelbrook.
For 16 years, Kirrily Walker has built a brand and reputation based around handmade vegan bags and accessories. In 2022, upholstery and furniture restoration joined the list of what we do.
Our upholstery services include:
Full reupholstery of dining chairs, armchairs, sofas, ottomans and outdoor furniture
New cushions including bench/window seat cushions and outdoor cushions
Replacement cushion covers or foam inserts
Zipper, webbing and frame repairs and timber restoration.”
This is a local, family-owned business, employing local artisans and makers.
From the owner: “The Australian Repair Shop has become the ‘go to’ workshop for just about every conceivable repair. From traditional woodwork and metalwork, ceramics, leatherwork, upholstery, jewellery, clockmaking, lead lights, picture framing, toys & collectables, electrical and all the modern technologies like laser engraving, CNC routing and 3D printing. Our range of services is exhaustive and there’s almost no trade we don’t offer, we are also continuing to expand our range of services to ensure we are a genuine ‘one-stop-shop’ for all repairs and personalised projects.
Our business is a combination of social enterprise with an ethos of upcycling and sustainability, backed by: Good ‘old fashioned’ trade services.”
Location: 481 Great Western Highway, Faulconbridge NSW 2776
Trading hours: Weekdays 9am-5pm and Saturday 9am-2pm
Mark from The Australian Repair Shop says they have a go at fixing anything that can fit through the door. Their full story can be read here.
Central Mountains Men’s Shed
The Men’s Shed is a great option for those wishing to repair or create their own things. Whether you are a beginner wanting to upskill, or an expert wanting the company of others and/or the shared use of space and tools, the Shed is welcoming to all (not just men!).
You can drop into the Men’s Shed Tuesday-Thursday at 5-17 Queens Road, Lawson
A handful of fixers at the Men’s Shed in Lawson. Read our full story on the Men’s Shed here.
Blue Mountains Women’s Shed
Similarly to the Men’s Shed, the Women’s Shed is a place to upskill or use your existing skills to mend, repair and create your own things in a shared space, using shared tools. The Women’s Shed is specifically for women.
From the owner: “I’m a qualified Engineer with over 30 years experience supporting individual musicians to achieve their best tonal quality possible through modifications, repairs or re-builds of their amplifiers or guitars. Also offering custom builds.
I am passionate about re-furbishing ‘Phoenixing’ old vacuum tube guitar amps and stereo amplifiers built in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. Bringing them back to useful life and out of the appalling ‘land fill’ generation that has been created by cheap overseas manufacturing processes!”
Guy Saltis will repair guitars of all varieties as well as violins, cellos, violas and double basses.
Location – Lawson
Contact: 0405 006 465
Photo supplied.
Boomerang Bags
Turn fabric waste into bags and other useful items with Boomerang Bags Blue Mountains. Sewing bees are open to all and held every first Saturday of the month. You can hone your sewing skills and help the planet at the same time.
For our earlier story on Boomerang Bags Blue Mountains click here.
Australian Parents 4 Climate Action Blue Mountains
The Blue Mountains branch of Australian Parents 4 Climate Action offers an excellent regifting opportunity for parents – quarterly kids’ clothes and toy swaps held at the Mid Mountains Neighbourhood Centre in Lawson.
This story has been produced as part of a Bioregional Collaboration for Planetary Health and is supported by the Disaster Risk Reduction Fund (DRRF). The DRRF is jointly funded by the Australian and New South Wales governments.
Emily from @handsheartfeet will be leading a free drumming workshop at the Planetary Health Centre Expo and Family Day in Katoomba on Sat 22 Nov. It`s suitable for all ages and so much fun! Places are limited so reserve your spot here: https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J (link in profile)
The Planetary Health newsletter is now out! Read it here: https://bit.ly/4o1FflK (link in profile)
It includes: • Expo and Family Day on Nov 22 • A Story of Purpose & Mental Health with Rotarian Peter Joseph AM from the Black Dog Institute on Nov 29 • How to Use a Sewing Machine Workshop on Nov 29 • Qigong, Upper Mountains Seed Saving & Gardening Group and Planetary Health Bushcare on Dec 6 • Legalising human composting as a sustainable death care option in NSW • The Climate Risk and Adaptation Plan for the Blue Mountains
We are so excited to be launching revolutionary new fire protection coatings that can stop your home burning down and slow the spread of fire. Learn more and pick up a sample pot at the Planetary Health Expo on Sat 22 Nov at 10am. FIRECOAT interior and exterior undercoat has been developed by scientists at UNSW and is already available for this fire season but new products will also be shared at the Expo, including a flexible fire-protective covering designed for temporary use on windows, doors, poles, fences, vehicles, equipment and other small assets. There is even a product that can create a fire-protective barrier around your home and these assets. FIRECOAT is waterproof, non toxic and game changing. Register here to attend the launch (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J and PLEASE SHARE. This breakthrough technology can help make our communities safer.
We’re thrilled that engineer Mark Liebman, who built a green roof in Blackheath, will be giving a free talk at the Planetary Health Centre Expo in Katoomba on Sat 22 November. Green roofs cool buildings, reduce stormwater runoff and increase biodiversity. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions and get tips on how to do it yourself. You can register to attend here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
Are there native bees and insects in your garden? Today is the first day of Australian Pollinator Week and native bee ecologist and musician @amelie_ecology has just released a new single with Costa Georgiadis @costasworld called ‘Not all Pests’. We’re thrilled that Amelie will be performing her songs and running a free interactive workshop on what we can do to support our native pollinators at the Planetary Health Expo and Family Day on Saturday 22nd November. You can register to attend here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/4nFrY1J
and you can stream ’Not all Pests’ here (link in profile): https://amelieecology.bandcamp.com/track/not-all-pests
There are so many ways to have a greener healthier Christmas! Ever thought of giving a voucher for Tai Chi and Qigong classes? You can try out one of our Qigong classes at the Planetary Health Centre this Saturday at 9am. Tutor Virginia Field is currently introducing Qigong`s 5-Animals Play, an ancient practice which developed from observing animals and mimicking their behaviour. Reserve a spot here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3JlOAXh Find other ideas for a greener Christmas on Council`s website here: www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/greenchristmas
Or come along to our Expo and Family Day on 22 November and try out some other great options like drumming classes, sewing and fashion upcycling! Register to attend here (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/disaster-risk-awareness-expo-or-full-cycle-2025
We’ve had some great news! Santa is coming to the free Community BBQ at the Planetary Health Centre Expo in Katoomba on Saturday 22 November. He’s arriving early to help us celebrate Christmas in a way that’s safer and healthier for us and the planet, and he’s let us know that he’ll be giving everyone who comes a free fire-retardant plant for their garden. We’re so thrilled we’re putting on fun family events for the day: from a fabulous free drumming workshop with Emily from Hands, Heart and Feet, to live music and a pollinator hunt with Amelie Ecology, and workshops to create plastic-free Christmas presents. There’ll also be an opportunity to meet the RFS, NSW Fire & Rescue, Red Cross and other emergency services. Come and learn ways to keep the family safe while also having fun, enjoying a coffee, sampling some plant-based sweets and a free BBQ lunch, and taking home lots of useful information about hazardous materials and preparing for extreme weather events! Register here to attend (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/disaster-risk-awareness-expo-or-full-cycle-2025?
Do you feel overwhelmed about preparing your home for bushfire? Come along to the free Bushfire Retrofit Toolkit Workshop at the Disaster Risk Awareness Expo (and pre-Christmas Family Day) at the Planetary Health Centre in Katoomba on Saturday 22 Nov. Meet the team who developed the Toolkit and learn to use it in a free, 2-hour interactive workshop. You will have the opportunity to work on case study properties in small groups and ask the team questions about your own property. Free afternoon tea provided. Bookings essential here (Disaster Risk Awareness Expo link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/disaster-risk-awareness-expo-or-full-cycle-2025/tickets #beprepared #bushfire #retrofit #disasterriskawareness #planetaryhealth #katoomba #bluemountains #bushfireretrofittoolkit...
When we pulled up some old lino we were shocked to learn at the Katoomba Resource Recovery and Waste Management Facility that it was made of asbestos. There are so many parts of old homes in the Blue Mountains that contain asbestos, so, to help keep everyone safe, we`ve invited Betty the Asbestos Education House to the Planetary Health Centre on Saturday 22nd November as part of our Disaster Risk Awareness Expo and pre-Christmas Family Day. Betty is a purpose built, mobile model home designed to demonstrate where asbestos might be found in and around any Australian home built or renovated before 1990. Her exterior resembles a typical fibro home but when opened up, she has extensive audio and visual information including a bathroom, kitchen, living room, man shed/garage and a dog house. You can learn more and register to attend this free event here (link in profile): www.fullcycleconference.com.au
Yesterday we launched the Upper Mountains Seed Saving and Gardening Group at the Planetary Health Centre. It`s the perfect time to get planting so we shared locally acclimatised seeds for a variety of beans (they don`t cross-pollinate so you can plant as many varieties as you can fit in!), round yellow zucchinis, Japanese pumpkins and Roi de Carouby peas. Seeds are arguably one of the best return on investments you can make in your life. Plant one tiny celery seed and when that plant goes to seed you can harvest thousands to replant and to sprout and add to your salads. We`ll be meeting on the first Saturday of every month as part of Skill Share Saturdays at the Planetary Health Centre. Our next meeting will be Saturday 6 Dec. Register here if you`d like to attend (link in profile): https://events.humanitix.com/copy-of-upper-mountains-seed-saving-and-gardening-group?
The KTOWN pickers - Katoombans Taking On Waste Now - are clearing litter from local tracks and streets and stopping it from entering our waterways and eventually our water supply. Read more in Katoomba Area Local News (link in profile): https://www.katoombalocalnews.com/ktown-katoombans-taking-on-waste-now/
This Saturday will be the first meeting of the Upper Mountains Seed Saving and Gardening Group at the Planetary Health Centre, starting at 10am. Register your interest here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/3LalNFy
It will be followed by the Planetary Health Bushcare group at 1.30pm. Register your interest here (link in profile): https://bit.ly/49k8PPo
Belle Butler is a writer, musician and occasional photographer. She likes mix-and-matching these artforms and often explores the same themes through each of them. Her short fiction has been published in numerous Australian literary journals and she recently received a WestWords Fellowship and Mentorship with Delia Falconer for her novel manuscript, ‘River.’ Hopefully it will be published one day.
The concept of planetary health is rapidly gaining attention globally, as the world increasingly confronts the interconnected challenges of environmental degradation, climate change, and public health crises. But what does the term 'planetary health' really mean, and why does it matter?
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