The refurbished seats, which provide rest points for residents have been installed along streets in Carnegie that have been identified in Council’s Great Walking Street Strategy.

Glen Eira Mayor Cr Jim Magee said Council had a large number of bench seats sitting idle at its Works Depot.

“Although they were in poor condition, they were still suitable for restoration,” he said.

“Instead of discarding the bench seats, Council approached Bentmoor Community Men’s Shed to see if its
members would be interested in refurbishing them.”

There are around 20 Men’s Shed members who are involved with the project. Firstly, the timber slats are removed and decades of dirt, mould and moss are cleaned off each slat. Any damaged slats are discarded and replaced with new timber. A protective coating is then applied to each slat. The metal frame is then taken to a specialist for powder coating, and once this is done, the timber slats are reattached to the frame.

Cr Magee said Bentmoor Community Men’s Shed has so far completed seven refurbishments, with another three bench seats currently being worked on at its workshop at Moorleigh Community Village.

“By the end of the project, we hope to have 20 bench seats refurbished and installed,” he said.