Council services and closures during the festive break

Cairns Regional Council’s customer service centre at Spence St will be closed from 4.30pm on Tuesday 24 December and reopen at 8.30am on Thursday 2 January 2025.

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.

Waste collection and 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 between 8am and 2pm on 27, 30 and 31 December 2024. Any requests outside of these times will be processed the next working day. Go to Council’s website to complete an “Extra Ben Collection Request”.

Waste transfer stations are open every day and operate as usual, except Christmas Day when they will be closed.

The Buy Back Shop at the Portsmith Transfer Station will be closed from 4pm on Sunday 22 December and will be reopen on Thursday 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 during a short period each day, with the exception of Christmas day, when the centre will be closed.

Lost pet release times will be between noon and 12.30pm on 24 December and 26-31 December, and 1 January.

Libraries

All Cairns Libraries branches will be closed from 5pm Tuesday 24 December and reopen Thursday 2 January 2025.

Visit www.cairns.qld.gov.au/library for school holiday activities.

Cairns Esplanade Lagoon

The Lagoon will be open 6am to 9pm everyday including public holidays.

As Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on a Wednesday, the Lagoon will remain open and will not close for regular half-day maintenance.

The Cairns Esplanade office will be closed from Tuesday Friday 22 December and re-open at 8.30am on Tuesday 2 January 2024.

Botanic Gardens

The Flecker Botanic Gardens will remain open throughout the Christmas period, and will be 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 1 January.

Usual opening hours (8.30am to 4pm weekdays and 9.30am to 2pm weekends) will resume on 2 January 2025.

Garden tours: Last tour 29 November 2024, resume Monday 24 February 2025Bird walks: Last tour 26 November 2024, resume Tuesday 24 February 2025.Plant trolley sales: Last sale 27 November 2024, resume Wednesday 5 February 2025.Heritage Tours: Last tour 12 December 2024, resume 6 March 2025.Friends Shop (Flecker Garden): closed 20 December 2024, reopen Monday 13 January (mornings only) Entertainment, cultural and arts venues CPAC and Ticketlink

Ticketlink Box Office at the Cairns Performing Arts Centre will close at 5pm on Tuesday 24 December 2024 and reopen Thursday 2 January 2025. Internet sales only during this time.

Tanks Arts Centre

Tanks Arts Centre (including Tank 4 Gallery) will be closed on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 December 2024, and 1 January 2025.

It will be open daily 10am to 2pm from 27 to 31 December 2024, and reopen for business as usual on Thursday 2 January 2025.

Court House Gallery and Mulgrave Gallery

The Court House Gallery and Mulgrave Gallery will be closed 25, 26 and 30 December 2024 and Wed 1 January 2025. The venues will be open:

Friday 27 December 9:30am to 5pmSaturday 28 December 10am to 5pmSunday 29 December 10am to 2pmTuesday 31 December 9:30am to 4pm

Business as usual will resume on Thursday 2 January 2025.

Cemeteries

Cemeteries will remain open to the public from 6am to 6pm daily.

Other facilities and services

For information on operating hours of other Council services and venues – including swimming pools and other leisure facilities – visit www.cairns.qld.gov.au.