News

Due to unexpected staffing unavailability, Braidwood Transfer Station is closed Monday 29th of June 2026 due to unexpected staff unavailability. 

Keep FOGO Clean so we can make great compost to use in gardens and agriculture A reminder if you have a FOGO bin (green lid food and garden organics bin) you cannot put any pet poo into this bin.  FOGO bins are only for the following items:  * Food scraps (no packaging) * Garden material (leaves, grass clippings, weeds, small branches) * Council supplied FOGO caddy liners only, no other liners.  Pet poo will contaminate the FOGO material as it may contain harmful bacteria that will contaminate the final compost product and make it unusable.  Please place all Pet Poo including kitty litter and bird droppings into the RED bin (red lid) .  Thank you for helping us keep our compost clean and environmentally friendly. 

Kerbside Bulky Waste Collections book in service is now open.  * Please see the Council website waste page for the Kerbside booking page with information and terms and conditions. * Council website waste page https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste [https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste] * When making a booking, you will be required to read and agree to the terms and conditions. * The current booking system will be available till the end of June and a new booking system will be available at the end of May / Mid June for bookings after the 1st of July. * Multi unit Scheduled clean ups will be in September and residents will be provided with dates via mail.  Please note that items CANNOT be placed out on the kerbside/ verge until one (1) day before the booked or scheduled cleanup as Illegal dumping fines will apply.     

Low-Waste Living for Every Home. At Home With… Lindsay Miles When - 27th May  Time - 12:00 - 13:00 GMT+10 Virtual - register here https://luma.com/AT-HOME?e=evt-s2tLk5Gzxui5m1P [https://luma.com/AT-HOME?e=evt-s2tLk5Gzxui5m1P] Join sustainability advocate Lindsay Miles for a warm, practical session on creating a low-waste home that saves money, reduces environmental impact, and simplifies daily life. She will share realistic, actionable strategies for reducing waste in kitchens and throughout the home. Who is Lindsay Miles? Lindsay Miles is an educator, speaker, and author, known for her long-running sustainability blog Treading My Own Path and her books Less Stuff and The Less Waste No Fuss Kitchen. She helps people live meaningful, lower-waste lives through practical tips, workshops, and hands-on guidance. (treadingmyownpath.com [http://treadingmyownpath.com/?utm_source=luma]) What You’ll Learn: * How to reduce clutter and organise your home * Ways to repair, maintain, and reuse items * Small but meaningful changes to cut food and packaging waste * How to build sustainable routines without feeling pressured * Tips for creating a home environment that enhances wellbeing and comfort What You’ll Get: * Practical, hands-on strategies to implement immediately * Sustainable and resourceful: extend item life and reduce consumption * Supports wellbeing by improving comfort and reducing stress   Who Should Attend: * Anyone wanting sustainable, comfortable, simple living * Residents seeking practical tips to reduce waste * People interested in mindful living and low-waste strategies

Composting Fundamentals: Turning Waste into Wealth for Your Garden When - Tuesday 12 May Time - 12:00 - 13:00 GMT+10  Virtual   Registration  Welcome! To join the event, please register below. Register https://luma.com/kxpjhktx [https://luma.com/kxpjhktx] About Event Composting is an easy, effective way to reduce household waste while enriching your garden. Natasha Morgan will guide you through basic composting, showing how even small setups can transform kitchen scraps and garden waste into nutrient‑rich soil — suitable for backyards, balconies, and community gardens. Who is Natasha Morgan? Natasha Morgan is a landscape architect, lifelong gardener, educator, and author based in Daylesford, Victoria. She founded Oak & Monkey Puzzle and now runs Little Cottage on a Hill, where she creates productive, sustainable gardens, leads workshops and shares practical growing, design and seasonal skills with gardeners and communities.  What You’ll Learn: * Different compost types and systems — heaps, bins, worm farms, bokashi * What can and cannot be composted * How to troubleshoot and maintain a compost system * Using finished compost to improve soil, water retention, and plant growth * Seasonal tips for year‑round composting success   What Attendees Will Get: * Hands‑on guidance for setting up and maintaining a compost system * Expert advice on maximising decomposition and using compost effectively * Q&A with Natasha Morgan on small‑space solutions and household integration   Who Should Attend: * Home gardeners, renters, and anyone reducing food and garden waste * Community garden coordinators or school programs * Sustainability enthusiasts  

Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council has installed 48 Return and Earn bin baskets on public bins to improve public place recycling and keep eligible bottles and cans out of the litter stream and landfill.  The bin baskets are attached to council bins in high-traffic areas to enable people to leave their drink containers for someone else to collect. Residents or community groups can then easily collect the containers from the bin baskets to recycle at a Return and Earn location for the 10c refund. A recent trial of the simple but innovative solution by the Return and Earn scheme coordinator Exchange for Change, found the bin baskets were effective at reducing drink containers going into the public bins and landfill by up to 80 per cent. The Return and Earn bin baskets have been installed at key locations in the following areas: * Queanbeyan * Googong * Karabar * Jerrabomberra * Bungendore * Braidwood * Captains Flat

Good For The Hood is now available to the QPRC community. Creating sustainability champions, one module at a time. The @ HOME program simplifies sustainability to behaviours and actions that anyone can do. It's fully funded by participating councils, making it free for residents and easy to get involved. Good For the Hood provides webinars and videos on how to live more sustainably in your community with lots of hints and tips on not only waste, but composting, food, transport, water, gardening, resourceful living, energy, caring for ourselves and your community.  Sign up for free to access webinars, videos and information. https://www.goodforthehood.com.au/queanbeyan-palerang [https://www.goodforthehood.com.au/queanbeyan-palerang]  We all need help to develop good sustainability habits choices. Sometimes we want to hear it from an expert, sometimes from our neighbours. By working closely with councils around Australia, we can help residents build knowledge and capacity at a local level through our signature program @ HOME. Upcoming Webinars:  * Designing for Success - Smar Home Design for Builders & Renovators - With Michael Drage - 7th April 2026 - * Composing Fundamentals: Turning Waste into Wealth for Your Garden - With Natasha Morgan - 12th May 2026 - * Low- Waste Living for Every Home, At Home with Lindsay Miles - 27th May 2026 * Driving Smart: Expert Insigts on EV costs - with Brendon Doyle - 24th June 2026

Good Friday, 3rd April,  bin collection changes.   Due to Good Friday, bins normally collected on Friday, will be collected on Saturday 4th of April. Please place bins out Friday night ready for Saturday collection.  When presenting your bins, please ensure your bins have the correct items in the bins, are not too heavy or compacted, not obstructed, lids are closed, and leave a 50cm space between the bins.  MULTI -UNIT COMPLEXES - Bins at unit complexes that share bins and have a Friday collection, will also be collected on Saturday 4th April. Please ensure bin areas are tidy and the correct items are in the bins. 

ONLINE BULKY WASTE BOOKINGS AND SCHEDULED MULTI-UNIT COLLECTIONS FOR KERBSIDE COLLECTIONS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE All bookings for kerbside collections are closed until a new contractor has been appointed. Dates will become available for bookings once this has taken place. Residents eligible for scheduled bulky waste cleanups for multi-units will be notified of a date for collections once we have appointed the new contractor. All eligible properties can use the self-haul vouchers. Find out more about Self-Haul Waste Vouchers [https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste/Self-Haul-Waste-Vouchers]

The new  QPRC Waste Strategy 2025- 2045 [https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste/Waste-Strategy]  was adopted at the Council meeting of the 28th January 2026.  Objectives of the Waste Strategy  This Strategy has been prepared to provide an approach for waste and resource management in the LGA over the next 20 years in a manner which maximises landfill diversion and resource recovery. The key objectives of the Waste Strategy are to:  • provide an overview of the existing waste management practices and services offered;  • engage and gauge community views on current and potential waste management options;  • identify options for waste management and resource recovery across the whole LGA, in consideration of population growth, adequacy and longevity of existing waste infrastructure, urban encroachment and recognition of rural/ remote service considerations;  • develop key actions to assist Council in implementing the Waste Strategy over a 20-year timeframe • provide consistency with and the ability to meet the objective and ambitions of the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 and the Canberra Region Joint Organisation (CRJO) Regional Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy and Action Plan 2022-27 (CRJO Strategy), and Roadmap; and  • Meeting the objective of a sustainable, “clean green” community outlined in the QPRC 2017 Strategic Directions paper.  

Kerbside Bulky waste collection delays.  If you are having difficulty making a booking, it is due to the booking system being full till the end of February 2026.   The current contract for the Kerbside Bulky Waste collections finishes at the end of February 2026 and Council is in the process of finding a suitable contractor for the Kerbside bulky waste collections. Other options:  * Eligible residents can keep checking the online booking system for vacancies as they will show up if someone cancels before the end of February. * If you are unable to book a collection, you can utilise the Free Self Haul Vouchers available on the QPRC waste info app or the Council website waste page. * Mulit- uniit scheduled cleanups (usually in March and September)  - Council does not have dates for the Multi Unit scheduled collections until we have a contractor in place, residents in units can also use the Free Self Haul Vouchers * Check if your items are in good condition and try and give them away on line such as Buy Nothing groups, Buy Swap Sell, Market Place, free cycle, or take to the Buy back centres or to Goodies or other charities.  Once a suitable contractor is selected,  bookings will reopen and information will be made available on the Waste app, council social media, website and other council communication avenues.   

With Christmas Day falling on a Thursday this year, there will be some changes to bin collection schedules.  Bins normally collected on Thursday will be collected on Saturday 27th December instead.  Please ensure your bins are out Friday night, 26th December, to avoid missing the collection.  These changes will affect : * Captains Flat * Queanbeyan suburbs with a regular Thursday collection * Rural areas with a regular Thursday collection If you are not sure of your collection day, please check the waste calendar via the app or the council website waste page. https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste [https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste]  To ensure your bin is collected,  please place the bin out the night before, ensure the bin lid is closed, the bin is not obstructed, bins are not too heavy,  bins are placed 50cm apart and the bins contain the correct items. Check the app or the council website to find out what is accepted in each of the bin types https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste [https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste] If you live in a Multi unit and share bins,  and your  bins are normally collected from the waste enclosure on a Thursday, they will be collected Saturday 27th December. Please leave bins in the waste enclosure. If your bin is missed, please lodge a missed bin collection form via the app or the council website waste page.  https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste [https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste]  The Queanbeyan Waste Minimisation Centre  * Closed Christmas Day, then open as normal. * Check via the app or the council website waste page for information on what can be taken to the waste transfer stations, Queanbeyan waste minimisation centre and opening times https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste [https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste] Have a wonderful and safe holiday season The waste team         

Recalled coloured sand products are NOT accepted at QPRC waste facilities.  Where can you dispose of the recalled coloured sand:  * Drop them off for free at ACT Resource Management Centres in Mugga Lane or Mitchell.  How to safely dispose of the recalled coloured sand:  * Click on the link for information on how to safely dispose of the recalled coloured sand in the ACT https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/recyclopaedia/items/a/asbestos [https://www.cityservices.act.gov.au/recyclopaedia/items/a/asbestos] Other useful links related to the recall of the coloured sand:  * ACCC media release https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/customers-warned-of-recalled-children%E2%80%99s-sand-due-to-asbestos-risks [https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/customers-warned-of-recalled-children%E2%80%99s-sand-due-to-asbestos-risks] * Work safe ACT link https://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/health-and-safety-portal/safety-alerts/asbestos-contamination-confirmed-in-coloured-sand-product [https://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/health-and-safety-portal/safety-alerts/asbestos-contamination-confirmed-in-coloured-sand-product]

Give your old clothes and linen a second life this National Recycling Week!   4 November 2025   Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council is joining councils across the region for an exciting textile recycling event this November in celebration of National Recycling Week (10–16 November) and you’re invited to get involved!   The Textile Recycling Trial, funded by the Canberra Region Joint Organisation, is your chance to make a real difference. We're calling on the community to help divert unwanted textiles like clothing, shoes, belts, handbags, and linens from ending up in landfill. Let’s recycle, repurpose, and give these items a second life.   Drop-off locations are open across the Queanbeyan-Palerang region at the following venues: * Queanbeyan Waste Minimisation Centre (5 Lorn Road, Crestwood) * Monday 10 to Friday 14 November, 9.15am–4.15pm * Bungendore Transfer Station (210 Tarago Road, Bungendore): * Monday 10 November 7am–12pm * Friday 14 November 12.30–4.30pm, * Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 November 8am–4.30pm * Braidwood Transfer Station (117 Bombay Road, Braidwood): * Monday 10 November 10am–4:30pm * Friday 14 November 10am–4.30pm * Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 November 10am–4.30pm   What Can You Recycle? * Clothing * Shoes, belts, handbags * Linen, towels, blankets * Curtains   Items We Can’t Accept: * Soft toys, doonas, pillows, or cushions * Electric blankets * Suitcases, mats, rugs, and carpet * Fabric off-cuts   Remember, all donated items must be clean and dry. Friendly staff will be on site to assist with your drop-offs.   Collected textiles will be managed by Nowra-based RRR Australia (Reuse – Repurpose – Recycle), ensuring items in good condition are donated locally and overseas, while unwearable items are transformed into cleaning rags or recycled into innovative new products like rugs and floormats.   For more information on the Textile Recycling Trial, please contact our Customer Service team on 1300 735 025 or email wastematters@qprc.nsw.gov.au [wastematters@qprc.nsw.gov.au]

The Waste App has the ability to send notifications if there are waste events, reminders to put bins out (if you have a roadside service) or issues with collections etc. Please check if your waste app notifications are turned on so that you can receive updated and important waste information.  If you require assistance with the Waste app or your address is not showing up, please contact council 1300735025 or wastematters@qprc.nsw.gov.au  

The NSW Government works together with local councils to host these events, which are free and held across NSW on specified dates throughout the year. The safe way to dispose of potentially hazardous household chemicals is at a Household Chemical CleanOut event. These events are free services held across NSW on specified dates. The next proposed scheduled events are:  * Bungendore Waste Transfer Station -11 October 2025- 210 Tarago Road Bungendore - Saturday - 8am - 11am * Braidwood Waste Transfer Station -11 October 2025 -  117 Bombay Road Braidwood - Saturday - 1pm - 4pm * Queanbeyan Waste Minimisation Centre -12 October 2025 -  5 Lorn Road Crestwood - Sunday -  8am - 11am  Eligible Items  You can drop off up to 20 litres or 20 kilograms of a single item for the following chemicals at cleanout events: * solvents and household cleaners * floor care products * ammonia-based cleaners * pesticides and herbicides * poisons * pool chemicals * hobby chemicals * motor fuels * paint and paint-related products * fluorescent globes and tubes * acids and alkalis * smoke detectors * gas bottles * fire extinguishers * car and household batteries * motor and cooking oils. Please note that paints, fluorescent globes and tubes, smoke detectors, gas bottles, batteries, motor oils and cooking oils can be dropped off at the Bungendore waste transfer station and the Queanbeyan Waste Minimisation Centre at the CRC during normal opening hours during the year.  Batteries can also be taken to any Bcycle locations https://bcycle.com.au/drop-off/ [https://bcycle.com.au/drop-off/] 

We are trialling self-haul waste disposal vouchers for two years for residents Vouchers will be issued via the QPRC Waste Info App. It can be downloaded through the iOS App store or Android Google Play store. The vouchers will help residents with approved dwellings meet the costs of household bulky and/or general waste disposal at QPRC Waste Transfer Stations at Bungendore, Braidwood, Macs Reef, Captains Flat and Nerriga. Please note not all transfer stations accept all items so please refer to transer station information on what they can accept. Vouchers cannot be redeemed at the Queanbeyan Waste Minimisation Centre as the facility does not accept general waste. Vouchers are issued electronically to reduce the use of paper, avoid lost vouchers, and ensure equitable access to vouchers. For more information on the Vouchers, eligibility, and use of please see the information on the app or the council website waste page https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste/Self-Haul-Waste-Vouchers [https://www.qprc.nsw.gov.au/Waste-Environment-Sustainability/Waste/Self-Haul-Waste-Vouchers]

The NSW Government works together with local councils to host these events, which are free and held across NSW on specified dates throughout the year. The safe way to dispose of potentially hazardous household chemicals is at a Household Chemical CleanOut event. These events are free services held across NSW on specified dates. The next proposed scheduled events are:  * Bungendore Waste Transfer Station -11 October 2025- 210 Tarago Road Bungendore - Saturday - 8am - 11am * Braidwood Waste Transfer Station -11 October 2025 -  117 Bombay Road Braidwood - Saturday - 1pm - 4pm * Queanbeyan Waste Minimisation Centre -12 October 2025 -  5 Lorn Road Crestwood - Sunday -  8am - 11am  Eligible Items  You can drop off up to 20 litres or 20 kilograms of a single item for the following chemicals at cleanout events: * solvents and household cleaners * floor care products * ammonia-based cleaners * pesticides and herbicides * poisons * pool chemicals * hobby chemicals * motor fuels * paint and paint-related products * fluorescent globes and tubes * acids and alkalis * smoke detectors * gas bottles * fire extinguishers * car and household batteries * motor and cooking oils. Please note that paints, fluorescent globes and tubes, smoke detectors, gas bottles, batteries, motor oils and cooking oils can be dropped off at the Bungendore waste transfer station and the Queanbeyan Waste Minimisation Centre at the CRC during normal opening hours during the year.  Batteries can also be taken to any Bcycle locations https://bcycle.com.au/drop-off/ [https://bcycle.com.au/drop-off/] 

Garage Sale Trail is held all over Australia over two weekends in November.   Register your sale for free, check out where to shop or register for a free workshop at www.garagesaletrail.com.au [https://www.garagesaletrail.com.au/] Great way to get rid of your unwanted items, save items going to landfill, or find a bargain