Council's Spence Street Customer Service Centre will operate during normal business hours until 4.30pm on Wednesday 24 December and reopen for business as usual at 8.30am on Monday 5 January 2026.
The Customer Service call centre will also be closed for general business during this period.
An after-hours emergency call centre will operate 24 hours a day via the normal customer service number 1300 69 22 47.
Non-urgent matters can be logged via Council's website or through the free My Cairns app, which can be downloaded to mobile devices from Google Play and the App Store.
Kerbside bin collection and waste facilities
There will be no interruptions to kerbside waste and recycling collections. Residential collections will be as normal on all days, including Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Residents are reminded to have their bins kerbside by 6am.
Requests for additional bin collections will only be processed on 29, 30 and 31 December 2025 and 2 January 2026. Any requests outside of these days will be processed the next working day.
Go to Council's website to complete an "Extra Bin Collection Request".
All Council Transfer Stations will be closed on Christmas Day.
The Portsmith Transfer Station will open from Boxing Day (26 December) and resume normal operating hours (8.30am to 5.15pm).
Smithfield, Gordonvale and Babinda Transfer Stations will be closed on Boxing Day and resume normal operating hours (8.30am to 5.15pm) from 27 December.
The Buy Back Shop at the Portsmith Transfer Station will be closed from 4pm on Sunday 21 December and will be reopen on Friday 2 January 2025 in line with regular opening hours.
Animal Care and Education Centre
Impounded pets can be collected from the Animal Cairns and Education Centre between midday and 12:30pm each day with the exception of Christmas Day, when the centre will be closed.
Normal hours will resume on Monday 5 January 2026.
Libraries
All Cairns Libraries branches will be closed from 12.30pm on Wednesday 24 December and reopen on Monday 5 January 2026.
Visit www.cairns.qld.gov.au/library for school holiday activities.
Cairns Esplanade Lagoon and Muddy's Playground
The Esplanade Lagoon will operate as usual throughout the holiday season, including the weekly maintenance closure until noon on Wednesdays (24 and 31 December).
Muddy's Playground will be open as usual.
Entertainment, cultural and arts venues
Ticketlink Box Office at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre will close at 5pm on Wednesday 24 December 2024 and reopen at 9am on Monday 5 January 2026. Online sales will be available during the closure.
Tanks Arts Centre (including Tank 4 Gallery) will be closed on Christmas Day and reopen on Friday 2 January 2026.
The Court House Gallery and Mulgrave Gallery holiday season operating hours are as follows:
Open: 24 December 2025, closing at 5pm
- Closed 25-28 December 2025
- Open: 29-30 December 2025, 9.30am - 5pm
- Open: 31 December 2025, 9:30am - 4pm
- Closed: 1 January 2026
- Normal hours will resume on Friday 2 January 2026.
Botanic Gardens
The Flecker Botanic Gardens will remain open throughout the Christmas period, open daily from 7.30am to 5.30pm.
The Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre will be closed on Christmas Day. It will be open from 9.30am to 2pm on each day from 26 December to 4 January inclusive. Usual opening hours (8.30am to 4pm weekdays and 9.30am to 2pm weekends) will resume on Monday 5 January 2026.
Cemeteries
Cemeteries will remain open to the public from 6am to 6pm daily. Cemetery operations will be closed from Thursday 25 December 2025 until Friday 2 January 2026.
