Your guide to Council services over holidays

Whether it's keeping beachgoers safe, collecting bins or ensuring there’s a great book to read, Sunshine Coast Council will offer residents and visitors a wide range of services over the festive season.

Some services will see changes to operating hours, while others will remain open to support the community right through the summer break.

Waste collection

Roadside waste and recycling collections will continue as normal - even on public holidays. Sunshine Coast Christmas Day bin collections will begin at 5am. If your bin collection day falls on Christmas Day, please leave your bin in it's usual collection point the night before. Council’s resource recovery facilities will close just for Christmas Day, then continue to trade as normal on all other days. Check Council’s website for operating hours for all of Council’s waste and recovery centres.

Beach patrol and aquatic centres

Professional lifeguards will patrol our major beach locations Monday to Friday and a number of other beaches on weekends. To check local patrol times head to www.beachsafe.org.au and search for your favourite beach.

These services are also supported by an extensive network of volunteer surf lifesavers who patrol on weekends and public holidays during the surf lifesaving season, which runs from the September school holidays to the first weekend in May, with extended hours through the busy Christmas period.  

Council aquatic centre's will close on Christmas Day with a reduced service on Boxing Day. Residents are encouraged to check their local pool’s website or social media page for opening hours.

Customer contact

Council’s important after-hours emergency call centre for those seeking help, will operate 24-hours a day via the customer service phone number 5475 7272.

The customer service email and SMS services (applies to customer contact only) will close from 5pm on Friday December 22 and re-open at 8.30am on Wednesday, December 27, 2023. After hours emails sent to [email protected] and [email protected] will be reviewed for urgent issues only during this shutdown period.

Non-urgent matters can be logged any time via Council’s online portal MyCouncil. The portal allows you to do business with Council online at your convenience.

Council Service counter and reception desk at Caloundra will take a break from 4.30pm on Friday, December 22 and re-open at 8.30am on Wednesday, December 27.

Council Service counters and reception desks at City Hall in Maroochydore and Nambour will close at 4.30pm on Friday, December 22 and re-open at 8.30am on Tuesday, January 2.

Development services

The Development Information counter at Sunshine Coast City Hall will close from 4.30pm on Friday, December 22 and will reopen on at 8.30am, Tuesday, January 2, 2023. Appointments to meet with Development Services in the New Year can be booked online.

Libraries and galleries

Sunshine Coast Libraries will close on public holidays but operate on all other days during the holiday season. Residents can borrow thousands of books, magazines, music and movies, for the whole family.

The Sunshine Coast Mobile Library service will close from Monday, December 18 and will resume on Tuesday, January 2. Council’s e-library is accessible 365 days a year and has thousands of online resources to choose from.

Another great place to visit is the state heritage listed property, Bankfoot House in the Glass House Mountains. It offers an insight into an extraordinary family history dating back to 1868, with guided tours available. The house and heritage precinct are open every Wednesday to Sunday 10am-3pm and only closed on public holidays.

The Heritage listed Landsborough Museum will also be be open every Wednesday to Sunday 10am-3pm over the holiday period.

The Caloundra Regional Gallery will remain open 10am-4pm Tuesday to Friday, 10am-2pm on weekends. It will be closed on Christmas Day, Tuesday, December 26 and New Years Day.

Discover the natural jewel of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. Visitors of all ages will enjoy exploring the interactive displays in the Rainforest Discovery Centre open daily between 9.30am-3.30pm. (Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Australia Day.)

Explore the stunning mix of native display gardens, nature play spaces, sculptures and picnic venues in a tranquil bushland setting at the botanic-garden.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au. Located in Tanawha and open daily from 7am-6pm.

Venue 114 and community spaces will close from 5pm Friday, December 22 and and will re-open Wednesday January 3. The Amity Affliction will kick off 2024 in the event space on Sunday, January 7.

Animal pound

The Sippy Creek Animal Pound will operate as normal, 8.15am-6pm Monday to Friday and 9am-midday on Saturdays. The pound will close at 2pm on Friday, December 22 and will open for Saturday morning, December 23 from 9am-middday. It will then close for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and re-open at 8.15am on Wednesday December 27. The pound will be closed on New Year’s Day.  

Disaster and emergencies

Right throughout summer Council’s Local Disaster and Emergency Group will monitor the weather and keep you up to date with any alerts and helpful information via Disaster Hub. The Hub has important, up-to-date information and links to key emergency services in one location, including weather warnings, road closures, evacuation centres, airport updates, traffic cameras, flood mapping, as well as Council’s news updates and social media posts.

Parking

Please remember to check the signage and park safely this festive season.

The maps available on Council’s website can help you locate the best parking for some of the region’s busier community areas.