Cook Shire Council advises that the Lakeland Waste Transfer Station will be closed this Saturday, 6 December. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank the community for their understanding. Normal operations will resume at the next scheduled opening.
Cook Shire News
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Splash N’ Play at Cooktown Swimming Pool for the summer holidays
Cook Shire families can beat the heat these school holidays with the return of Splash N’ Play at the Cooktown Swimming Pool. The popular program will run every Tuesday and Thursday across December and January, offering two hours of water-based fun for children of all...
Council introduces new bin compliance standards with a “Better Bins” initiative
Cook Shire Council has today introduced new wheelie bin compliance standards to ensure all bins used across the Shire are built to withstand Cooktown’s intense UV, heat and humidity. Effective immediately, Council will only approve and label wheelie bins that comply...
Nature’s Powerhouse celebrates 25 years with community gathering
Nature's Powerhouse celebrates 25 years to the day since opening its doors on 1 December 2000, following a special anniversary event on Sunday that brought together around 130 community members, artists and supporters. The milestone event commemorated the venue's...
Event Centre Gym air-conditioning update
Cook Shire Council is advising the community that further works are required as part of the air-conditioning upgrade at the Cooktown Events Centre Gym. To allow these works to be completed, the gym’s air-conditioning system will be shut down again from Monday 19...
Cook Shire announces 2026 Australia Day Ambassador, record nominations and Citizenship Ceremony
Cook Shire Council is proud to announce Professor Peter Timms as the 2026 Australia Day Ambassador, as the community comes together to celebrate the Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony on Monday 26 January 2026 in Cooktown. Professor Timms is a nationally...
Seven Seas Navigator to visit Cooktown
Cooktown is set to welcome passengers and crew from the Seven Seas Navigator cruise ship on Friday 16 January 2026, weather permitting. The ship has 496 passengers and 365 crew on board, with the first tender scheduled to arrive at the Cooktown Wharf at 12pm, bringing...
Wet season reminder: Protect yourself against melioidosis
As we move through the wet season in Far North Tropical Queensland, Cook Shire Council is reminding residents, property owners and visitors to be aware of melioidosis, a rare but potentially serious bacterial infection that occurs naturally in soil and water across...



