Shellharbour City Council is introducing revised weekend operating arrangements at the Dunmore Recycling and Waste Disposal Depot from Saturday 24 October 2026 as part of a 12-month trial.
The decision follows a detailed review of depot operations, customer demand and service usage patterns, and aims to improve the long-term financial sustainability of the facility, while continuing to meet community needs.
Caption: Dunmore Recycling and Waste Disposal Depot Image courtesy of Shellharbour City Council
While weekend operating hours are changing, there will be no change to weekday operations at the Dunmore Recycling and Waste Disposal Depot, or to household and commercial waste collections.
From Saturday 24 October 2026:
| Saturday | Facility open 9am - 3pm |
| Sunday | Resource Recovery Centre open 9am - 3pm |
| Landfill CLOSED |
Extended operating hours will resume during the peak Christmas holiday period between mid-December and mid-January.
The service review found that the Resource Recovery Centre manages the vast majority of customer activity, while landfill operations experience low weekend utilisation. Analysis of customer transaction data found most weekend customer activity occurs between 9am and 3pm, with reduced demand outside these hours.
Shellharbour Mayor Chris Homer said the change to weekend operations would help Council better align services with customer demand while maintaining access to essential waste and recycling services.
"The service review found that around 95% of weekend customers use the Resource Recovery Centre, which will remain open across the weekend" Mayor Homer said.
"The changes allow Council to continue providing essential waste and recycling services while better matching operations to customer demand."
Data collected during the review found that landfill operations account for only 5% of site transactions on weekends. On a typical weekend day, the landfill services approximately eight paying customers, or around one customer per hour.
The revised arrangements will operate as a 12-month trial and will be monitored throughout the period. Council will assess customer demand, operational performance, financial sustainability and community feedback before considering any future changes.
KEY MESSAGES:
- Weekend operating arrangements at the Dunmore Recycling and Waste Disposal Depot are changing from Saturday 24 October 2026 as part of a 12-month trial.
- The facility will open 9am - 3pm Saturday and Sunday, while landfill will be closed on Sunday.
- Council will assess customer demand, operational performance, financial sustainability and community feedback before considering any future changes.
