Get your yard ready for extreme weather season
Cook Shire Council is once again offering Free Dumping Days to help residents tidy their properties and remove potential hazards before cyclone season.
When & Where
- 1 – 16 November 2025 during regular operating hours (see below)
- Ayton and Lakeland Waste Facilities – Free dumping days commence Saturday 1 November 2025
- Cooktwn and Laura Waste Facilitites – Free dumping days commence on Sunday 2 November 2025
What you can dump (for free*)
- Green waste
- Mixed construction waste (treated timber, old posts, pallets, plasterboard, ply, etc.)
- Packing materials – plastic and cardboard packaging
- Outdoor furniture – excludes beds and matresses
- Broken wheelie bins
- Asbestos – up to 200L, double wrapped in 0.2mm plastic bag (Visqueen), sealed with tape and clearly marked.
What won’t be accepted
- Tyres, old cars
- Mixed general/household waste
- Commercial waste
- Beds, mattresses, fridges, freezers, air-conditioners
- Concrete, soil, bricks
* Important: All waste must be pre-sorted into eligible categories before delivery. Mixed or unsorted loads may be refused or charged at normal disposal rates.
Extra Support
Residents who receive an age or disability pension and live in a kerbside collection area can apply for the Handy Help Pick-Up service. This is an opt-in service that you must pre-register for. Registrations close 12 noon, Sunday 12 October 2025.
For more information call Council on 4082 0500.