The Carindale Community is calling on Brisbane City Council to reverse their decision to close the Carindale Library Makerspace.
The petition, which launched on 29 September, has already received more than 700 signatures and some media attention.
The much loved facility is now looking for a new home, after Council closed its doors on 27 September leaving users disappointed. Many are still learning of the closure as they phone the library to make a booking, as there has been no official announcement by Brisbane City Council.
There’s also concerns that the equipment used in the space, such as sewing machines, laser cutters and other craft equipment, will be sold or donated to other organisations without community consultation.
Since its establishment, the Makerspace has served as a vital hub for learning, creativity, and connection—offering workshops, programs, and events that support people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities. Despite its popularity, the decision to close the Makerspace was made without speaking with the users or wider community.
The much loved space was created in 2021 and attracts around 1500 users annually.
Members say it provided a welcoming space for people from all walks of life to engage in sewing, garment-making, laser cutting and other craft activities.
Despite the attendance numbers and waitlists, Council have claimed the space is being closed due to underutilisation, which users say is baffling. It’s believed Council want to use the space for quiet study and reading.
The Carindale Makerspace Group says they’ve had little feedback from Brisbane City Council and the decision to close the space ignores the unique nature of the Makerspace and the essential role it plays in fostering community connections, creative skill development, and cultural engagement.
“The closure of this space will have significant negative impacts on our community, particularly for vulnerable members who rely on it for creative engagement and social interaction. This decision also directly contradicts the Council’s own mission to promote vibrant cultural and artistic activities and support healthy, active lifestyles for Brisbane residents,” the said.
During a recent meeting with Councillor Ryan Murphy, 20 facility users voiced their concerns, stressing that the space was about crafting and building community connections, particularly for those who find it difficult to access other social spaces.
Attendees expressed their hope that the program would continue in some form, possibly in a new location but those hopes have not yet been met.
You can sign the petition to save this community resource here.
I did the sewing machine and overlocker induction and also attended a couple of mentor-supported workshops, and whilst the Makerspace trainers had the right attitude, some of the other library staff were nothing short of extremely difficult. It really felt like they were gate keeping and being unnecessarily obstructive towards patrons wishing to drop in and use the equipment. Firstly, despite seeing an online notice about the Makerspace inductions on my social media, which indicated it was already operational, when I called Carindale Library to book in, I was told by the library staffer who took my call that I had to attend the library desk in person to book in. Secondly, when I caught two buses across to Carindale to do this, the staffer on the desk could not tell me anything whatsoever about the Makerspace except to say that there was going to be one at Chermside. The next week, another ad appeared online, so I phoned again and managed to reach a friendly and supportive staffer, who booked my induction. My experiences with the trainers in the actual Makerspace was positive, but once I started using the equipment via solo booking sessions at times that were convenient to me, things took a strange turn. Despite the friendly librarians allowing me to book in on a Friday, and my attending without fuss or incident, I suddenly experienced resistance from one library staffer who entered the Makerspace one day with a colleague in tow and expressed surprise to see me in there using the overlocker to alter a dress. The staffer had apparently expected the room to be empty and was clearly irritated that a library customer dared to be using the space for its intended purpose when she’d mentally earmarked the room to be available exclusively to herself to perform some kind of staff diversity training. She kept pulling faces and pointedly telling her colleague “I’m sorry about the noise” in relation to the overlocker. The experience was unwelcoming and unsupportive and unkind, and the upshot was she clearly whinged to someone and I was not ever allowed to book in on a Friday after then. I’d be interested to know if anybody else had difficulty dropping in there on a Friday, or at any other time, as an individual who wasn’t attending a group event.