Coworking at Common Good Spaces in 2026: Expression of Interest update
A quick update on the co-working Expression of Interest we shared for Common Good Spaces in Castlemaine (at 69 Forest St).
Hi, Tom here.
We only promoted the QR code in two places, mainly to get an early sense of what people in town would actually want from a coworking space like this (especially given it's the time of year when most people are switching off). Even so, we received 10 responses, with a good mix of professions, roles, and working situations.
What we heard
A few clear themes came through:
- People are mostly looking for a regular "work day" routine, around other humans — with some chance encounters and connection
- Being in town matters, as does fast internet and somewhere to take calls
- Most respondents are looking for around one day per week (some more)
- There wasn't a strong preference for a particular day — and no one nominated Monday
- $30 felt reasonable/comfortable
- The vibe people want is quiet and friendly, with the option to be chatty/social at times
- There were also lots of practical ideas and suggestions we'll take on board as we set things up
Overall, it matched the kind of culture we were hoping for — and it's a good sign we'll be able to build a small, like-minded group that benefits from the space and adds to it.
What we're going to do next
We're going to give co-working a go in February 2026.
We'll confirm the exact start date in January, once we've locked in a few timing and setup details. Between now and then, we'll be doing the basics properly:
- investing in desks and chairs
- setting up 1–2 small meeting/breakout/call spaces
- putting a simple booking system/calendar in place so people can plan ahead
- improving the space steadily over time (not all at once)
We'll start with one day per week at first. Because most people told us they're looking to work around others, we'd rather bring everyone together on the same day to make it feel social and worth showing up for. If demand grows (or if it's clear a second day would help), we'll add another day.
We're also planning for the rest of the building to stay active around this: hosting a couple of pop-up local makers in February, having some community groups use the spaces in the evenings, and opening things up for workshops and classes as we go.
Staying in the loop
We'll keep the co-working Expression of Interest form on the website so anyone returning in the new year can add their details.
And if you'd like to connect directly, please email me at tom@commongood.social.
Looking forward to meeting some new faces in 2026.