Christmas and New Year Closures

Animal Care and Impounding Services

Services will be available to the community from Monday 29 December to Wednesday 31 December 2025. This includes reclaiming impounded animals, responding to foster care and adoption enquiries, and facilitating meet and greets.

Stray or roaming animals found by members of the public can be taken to Council’s contracted veterinary service provider, Illawarra Animal Hospital (IAH).

See our Animal Services over the Holidays page for more information.

Beaches

All beaches will be open, subject to sea conditions.

Council lifeguards will be at 17 patrolled beaches, located across the City of Wollongong.

Sundays and public holidays (Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day) will be patrolled by Surf Life Saving volunteers.

Botanic Garden

Open every day except Christmas Day (closed to public)

• 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
• 7am to 6.45pm, weekends and public holidays.

Administration office is closed from Friday 19 December 2025 and reopens Monday 5 January 2026.

Community facilities

Council-managed Community Centres will be closed from 1pm Wednesday 24 December 2025 and reopen at 9am Friday 2 January 2026. Groups with bookings will have self-access during this time.

For more information, see Community Centres and Halls.

Customer Service Centre and Call Centre

Closed from 12pm Wednesday 24 December 2025 and reopening 8.30am Friday 2 January 2026.

Online applications, reports, or requests made during this time will be processed when we reopen.

For urgent council matters like a public hazard or an urgent safety issue, please call (02) 4227 7111 to be connected to our after-hours service.

If someone’s life is in immediate danger, call 000.

Graffiti

All graffiti reports can be lodged online. If your graffiti report is offensive, contains inappropriate content, or is on a site of significance within the community, please call please call (02) 4227 7111 and press option 1 to be connected to our after-hours messaging service.

Libraries

See the Libraries website for Christmas and New Year hours.

Leisure Centres

See their Christmas Timetable and Hours .

Markets

The Crown Street Markets will close Friday 19 December 2025 and return Thursday 15 January 2026.

For more information, visit the Wollongong CBD website.

Public Swimming Pools

All patrolled pools close on Christmas Day. Check the pools webpage for opening hours.

Rock pools remain open. There is no lifeguard service at our rock pools.

Tourist Parks

Office closed Christmas Day.

Standard office hours are 9am to 7.30pm daily, except Christmas Day.

The Vale Golf Course

Closed Christmas Day. Open all other days including public holidays.

Waste and Recycling Collections

Household waste will continue to be collected as normal, except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. If your bin is normally collected on Thursdays or Fridays, put it out as normal and it will be collected in the next day or two.

We are also hosting three festive drop-offs between Christmas and New Years where residents can bring cardboard and household recycling free-of-charge.

This will be held at Berkeley, Helensburgh, and Towradgi. You can also drop off cardboard and household recycling free-of-charge at Whytes Gully, except Christmas Day.

Wollongong Waste and Resource Recovery Park

Whytes Gully Waste Depot and Community Recycling Centre are all closed on Christmas Day.

Otherwise, they open 7.30am – 4.30pm weekdays and 8am – 4pm weekends and public holidays.

Wollongong Art Gallery

Wollongong Memorial Gardens and Cemeteries

The administration office will close from 12.30pm Tuesday 23 December 2025 and reopen 8.30am Monday 5 January 2026.

Burial operations and memorial services will continue to operate through the Christmas and New Year period. The grounds will also be open every day during daylight hours for visitation.

Wollongong Youth Services

Closed from 12pm Wednesday 24 December 2025 and reopening on Monday 5 January 2026.

No outreach programs will be offered during this period.