Green Waste Amnesty
Published Thursday, 22nd October 2026
Now's a great time to clear up your property. From 31 October to 31 December you can dispose of green waste for free at any of Council's transfer stations.
The amnesty aims to encourage residents to prepare their properties for the fire season by removing potential fire hazards following the rapid growth period of spring.
The green waste is shredded to produce mulch which is free for residents to collect for their gardens while stocks last.
What is not accepted as green waste
To improve the quality of the mulch produced and prevent environmental harm, there are weed species that are not accepted as green waste. This includes:
- Blackberry;
- Ragwort;
- Broom;
- Mirror Bush;
- Kikuyu Grass;
- Hawthorn;
- Cape Weed;
- Gorse;
- Agapanthus;
- Bamboo;
- Blue Butterfly Bush; and
- Pampas Grass.
Plant species and other materials that are difficult to mulch properly or could contaminate the mulch are also not accepted as green waste, such as:
- Palm fronds,
- Cordylines,
- Yuccas and related species
- branches exceeding 300 millimetres in diameter
- tree stumps, or
- coated, treated or painted timber.
If any of the above plant species or materials are taken to a transfer station, they must be disposed of as general waste and the applicable disposal fees paid.
Alternatively, if your property receives kerbside waste collection all of the above species can be disposed of through the FOGO service as this is subject to a different composting process.
FOGO has a 100mm diameter limit on branch width and can’t take tree stumps or treated/painted timber.