Your guide to Council's holiday services | Sunshine Coast Council

Sunshine Coast Council will continue to offer residents and visitors a wide range of important services over the festive season.

Some services will see changes to operating hours, while others will remain open to support and safeguard the community right through the holiday period and into 2025!

Waste Collection

All kerbside waste, garden organics and recycling collections will continue as normal - even on public holidays. Council’s resource recovery facilities will close just for Christmas Day, then continue to trade as normal on all other days. Check Council’s website.

Customer Contact

For emergencies and urgent matters, Council is available 24/7 by phoning our after-hours emergency call centre on 5475 7272.

Customer Service Counters: Monday, December 23: Customer service counters will open 8.30am-4.30pm. Tuesday, December 24: Customer service counters will open at 8.30am and close early at 1.30pm for Christmas Eve. Friday, December 27: The Caloundra customer service counter will open 8.30am-4.30pm. Nambour and Maroochydore customer service counters will be closed. Monday, December 30: All customer service counters and reception desks will open 8.30am-4.30pm Wednesday, January 1 (New Year's Day): All customer service counters will be closed.

After-Hours email support

Emails sent to; [email protected] and [email protected] will be reviewed for urgent Council issues only during the short shutdown period. Check Council's website for more information.

Development Services

Appointments for Development Information Services at City Hall will close from 4.30pm on Monday, December 23, and reopen at 8.30am, Thursday, January 2, 2025. Available appointments can be viewed and booked online.

Beach Patrols and Aquatic Centres

Council-funded professional lifeguards will patrol our major beach locations Monday to Friday and several other beaches on weekends. To check local patrol times, head to the Beach Safe website and search for your favourite beach.

These services are also supported by volunteer surf lifesavers who patrol on weekends and public holidays during the surf lifesaving season, with extended hours through the busy Christmas period.  

Council Aquatic Centres will close on Christmas Day with a reduced service on Boxing Day. Links and a list of Centres and pools can be found on Council’s website. Residents are encouraged to check their local pool’s webpage or social media page for opening hours.

Libraries, Galleries and Museums

Sunshine Coast Libraries will close on public holidays but operate on all other days during the holiday season. Libraries will close early at 2pm on Tuesday, 24 December and Tuesday, 31 December. Residents can borrow thousands of books, magazines, music and movies, for the whole family.

The Sunshine Coast Mobile Library service will close from Monday, December 16, and will resume on Thursday, January 2, 2025. Council’s e-library is accessible 365 days a year and has thousands of online resources to choose from.

Another great place worth a visit is the state heritage listed property, Bankfoot House in the Glass House Mountains. Discover an extraordinary family history dating back to 1868, with guided tours available. The house and the heritage precinct are open every Wednesday to Sunday 10am-3pm and closed on public holidays. Bankfoot House will be closed on Christmas Day (Wednesday, December 25), Boxing Day (Thursday December 26) and New Years Day (January 1).

The Heritage listed Landsborough Museum will also be open every Wednesday to Sunday 10am-3pm and closed on public holidays. Landsborough Museum will be closed on Christmas Day (Wednesday December 25), Boxing Day (Thursday, December 26) and New Years Day (January 1).

The Caloundra Regional Gallery will remain open 10am-4pm Tuesday to Friday, 10am-2pm on weekends. It will be closed on Christmas Day and New Years Day.

Discover the natural jewel of the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve. Visitors of all ages will enjoy exploring the interactive displays in the Rainforest Discovery Centre open daily between 9.30am-3.30pm, closing for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and Australia Day.

Explore the beautiful mix of native display gardens, nature play spaces, sculptures, bush walks and picnic venues in a tranquil bushland setting at the Maroochy Bushland Botanic Garden, located in Tanawha and open daily from 7am-6pm.

Venues

Venue 114 and community spaces will close from 5pm Friday, December 20 and will re-open on Thursday January 2, 2025. The Event Centre will see out 2024 on Friday, December 20 with Daryl Braithwaite in concert. First performance of 2025 on Monday, January 9, 2025, is Children’s Theatre Show, Operation Ouch Live, all the way from the UK.

Animal Pound

The Sippy Creek Animal Pound will operate as normal, 8.15am-6pm Monday, December 23. On Tuesday December 24 the pound will close at 2pm. It will then close for Christmas Day (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26 and re-open at 8.15am on Friday December 27. The Pound will also be closed on New Year’s Day.

Emergency services will continue to be provided throughout the Christmas period. Council can be contacted 24-hours a day via the customer service phone number 5475 7272.

Cemetery Services

The Kulangoor Cemetery counter will operate 8.30am-4.30pm Monday, December 23. On Tuesday 24, the counter will close early at 2pm for Christmas eve.

It will then close Christmas Day (December 25), Boxing Day (December 26) and re-open 8.30am on Friday, December 27. The Kulangoor Cemetery counter will also be closed on New Year’s Day.

Emergency cemetery services will continue to be provided throughout the Christmas period. Council can be contacted 24-hours a day via customer service on 5475 7272. More information about cemetery services can be found on Council’s website.

Disaster and Emergencies

Right throughout summer Council’s Local Disaster and Emergency Group will monitor the weather and keep you up to date with any alerts and helpful information via Disaster Hub.

The Hub has important, up-to-date information and links to key emergency services in one location, including weather warnings, road closures, evacuation centres, airport updates, traffic cameras, flood mapping, as well as Council’s news updates and social media posts.

To report a Council related emergency during, or outside of business hours, phone 5475 7272 or 1300 007 272 (excludes mobiles and callers outside Sunshine Coast area). Examples can include missing waste bins, fallen trees and debris on roads.

Other emergency contacts:

Main Roads – urgent matters relating to main roads 13 19 40

Unitywater – for urgent water and sewer matters 1300 086 489

Coast Guard – Mooloolaba (07) 5444 3222

Caloundra Marine Assist – (24/7) 0429 913 533

State Emergency Service – (SES) 132 500