Transfer Stations & Landfill
About
On this page you can find out more about our waste facility locations, opening hours, and what is accepted at each facility. We operate one landfill and four transfer stations that are open to the public for the purpose of waste disposal and resource recovery of reusable and recyclable products.
The weight of waste is measured with weighbridges onsite. Deemed weights (pre-set weights) will apply at some facilities if a weighbridge is not operational.
If you are a domestic (non-commercial) customer you can drop off a selection of household items at our waste facilities, no charge, all year round.
You can find the full details of what can and cannot be disposed of listed under each waste facility location heading below.
Locations
All waste facilities are closed to the public on Good Friday and Christmas Day.
Stuart Waste Facility
Stuart Waste Facility is a landfill and transfer station. This is our largest waste facility, it can accept most residential and commercial waste and reusable or recyclable resources.
Location
24 Vantassel Street, Stuart (map).
Opening Hours
- Monday to Sunday: 6:30am to 5:45pm.
- Closed to the public on Good Friday and Christmas Day.
- Regulated Waste accepted between 7:30am and 3:00pm. For large loads please contact Resource Recovery 13 48 10.
- The tip shop is currently closed indefinitely.
Items Accepted at Stuart Waste Facility
These items can be recycled at no charge for domestic customers:
- air conditioners
- car batteries (lead-acid batteries)
- clean cardboard and metals
- electronic waste (up to 20 pieces) 3
- fluorescent light tubes
- gas bottles (up to 9kg)
- green waste (lawn clippings, fern fronds, branches etc.)
- household batteries and vapes 4
- household recyclables (yellow bin) 6
- used motor oil (up to 20L)
- white goods.
Charges apply for general waste, solar panels, tyres, mattresses and asbestos 1.
Items Not Accepted at Stuart Waste Facility
Hervey Range Resource Recovery Centre
The Hervey Range Resource Recovery Centre can only accept small domestic and commercial loads as all waste must be able to fit inside compactor bins for transport to our landfill at Stuart Waste Facility.
Location
811 Hervey Range Road, Alice River (map).
Resource Recovery Opening Hours
- Monday to Sunday: 7am to 4:45pm.
- Closed to the public on Good Friday and Christmas Day.
Items Accepted at Hervey Range Resource Recovery Centre
These items can be recycled at no charge for domestic customers:
- air conditioners
- car batteries (lead-acid batteries)
- clean cardboard and metals
- electronic waste (up to 20 pieces) 3
- fluorescent light tubes
- gas bottles (up to 9kg)
- green waste
- household batteries and vapes 4
- household recyclables (yellow bin) 6
- paint (up to 100L) 5
- polystyrene
- used motor oil (up to 20L)
- white goods.
Charges apply for general waste, solar panels, tyres, and mattresses.
Items Not Accepted at Hervey Range Resource Recovery Centre
- asbestos 1
- asphalt
- chemical waste 2
- combination turf, tree roots and soil
- commercial and industrial (C&I) over 4.5t GVM
- concrete
- dead animals
- flares, explosives or combustible materials 2
- large loads or lengths of timber over 1m
- large or bulky items
- liquids and solvents 2
- mixed construction and demolition (C&D)
- pallets
- regulated waste.
Hervey Range Refindit Tip Shop
The Hervey Range Refindit Tip Shop is now open and operated by Outlook Australia. Discover second hand, quality items and support a local circular economy.
Location
811 Hervey Range Road, Alice River (map).
Tip Shop Trading Hours
- Thursday to Sunday: 9am to 4pm
- Donations accepted daily through the Hervey Range Resource Recovery Centre.
Magnetic Island Transfer Station
Magnetic Island Transfer Station is a transfer station and tip shop. Most domestic and commercial waste and reusable or recyclable resources are accepted.
Location
65-73 West Point Road, Picnic Bay (map).
Opening Hours
- Monday, Wednesday, and Friday: 7am to 3:45pm
- Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 12noon
- Last vehicle through at 11:45am.
- Closed to the public on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Good Friday and Christmas Day.
Items Accepted at Magnetic Island Transfer Station
These items can be recycled at no charge for domestic customers:
- air conditioners and fluorescent light tubes
- car batteries (lead-acid batteries)
- clean metals
- gas bottles (up to 9kg)
- green waste
- electronic waste (up to 20 pieces) 3
- household recyclables (yellow bin) 6
- reusable items for the tip shop
- used motor oil (up to 20L)
- white goods.
Charges apply for general waste, tyres, and mattresses.
Items Not Accepted at Magnetic Island Transfer Station
Toomulla Transfer Station
Toomulla Transfer Station is a limited capacity transfer station – open to domestic customers only, no commercial customers. For smaller waste loads and limited recovery or reusable and recycle resources.
Location
74 Toomulla Beach Road (map).
Opening Hours
Usual opening hours:
- Saturday: 7:30am to 4:30pm
- Sunday to Friday: Closed.
- Closed to the public Good Friday and Christmas Day.
Items Accepted at Toomulla Transfer Station
These items can be recycled at no charge for domestic customers:
- air conditioners
- car batteries (lead-acid batteries)
- clean metals
- gas bottles (up to 9kg)
- green waste
- electronic waste (up to 20 pieces) 3
- fluorescent light tubes
- used motor oil (up to 20L)
- white goods.
Charges apply for general waste and mattresses.
Items Not Accepted at Toomulla Transfer Station
Bluewater Transfer Station
Bluewater Transfer Station is a limited capacity transfer station – open to domestic customers only, no commercial customers. For smaller waste loads and limited recovery or reusable and recycle resources.
Location
78 Jaloonda Road, Bluewater (map).
Opening Hours
Regular opening hours:
- Saturday and Sunday: 7:30am to 4:30pm
- Monday to Friday: Closed.
- Closed to the public on Good Friday and Christmas Day.
Items Accepted at Bluewater Transfer Station
These items can be recycled at no charge for domestic customers:
- air conditioners
- car batteries (lead-acid batteries)
- clean metals
- electronic waste (up to 20 pieces) 3
- fluorescent light tubes
- gas bottles (up to 9kg)
- green waste
- used motor oil (up to 20L)
- white goods.
Charges apply for general waste and mattresses.
Items Not Accepted at Bluewater Transfer Station
More Information
Glossary of Terms
- Landfill
A landfill is somewhere waste can be buried onsite provided it meets the Landfill Acceptance Criteria (PDF, 430.8 KB).
It is the final destination for waste that cannot be recycled or recovered. Landfills bury rubbish underneath a layer of soil which prevents material from decomposing or ending up as litter in our environment.
Landfills are highly engineered sites with suitable barriers between the environment and the rubbish to minimise impact.
Our only landfill is at Stuart Waste Facility.
- Limited Capacity
A limited capacity transfer station may only be able to service domestic customers.
Bluewater Transfer Station and Toomulla Transfer Station are both limited capacity.
- Transfer Station
Transfer stations, also referred to as Resource Recovery Centres, are processing sites for the temporary deposit and consolidation of both household and commercial recyclable materials that cannot be collected through kerbside collections.
Unlike a landfill, transfer stations do not have the capability to bury and dispose of waste onsite. Waste material received at any of Townsville’s five transfer stations must be transported back to our one landfill for final disposal.
We have five transfer stations: Stuart Waste Facility, Hervey Range Resource Recovery Centre, Magnetic Island Transfer Station, Toomulla Transfer Station (limited capacity), and Bluewater Transfer Station (limited capacity).
Payment
Our transfer stations and landfill accept cash, EFTPOS, VISA, and MasterCard. Card payments are preferred where possible, with the exception of Toomulla Transfer Station, which only accepts cash.
View our domestic waste disposal fees and charges information.
Using no-charge drop off points for certain recyclable items at Council’s waste facilities can reduce fees on the remaining waste in your load. View the Sort Your Load factsheet for more information on how you can save time, money and the environment by sorting your waste before you visit the tip.
1 – Disposing of Asbestos
Asbestos is accepted at the Stuart Waste Facility landfill, provided the below requirements are met:
- Asbestos must be sealed and double wrapped with heavy duty plastic at lease 0.2mm thick.
- Up to 175kg of asbestos products can be transported to Stuart Waste Facility per load. As a general guide, 175kg of typical asbestos cement sheet would occupy about a fifth of a normal household trailer. A quarter of a trailer would equate to approximately 250kg.
You must notify the gatehouse operator upon arrival so you can be directed to the specified area for disposal.
Normal domestic waste charges will apply.
For further information visit the Asbestos Removal and Licencing page of the WorkSafe Queensland website.
2 – Disposing of Dangerous and Liquid Waste
We do not accept solvents, liquids, chemical waste, flares, explosives or combustible materials.
Flares can also be dropped off for safe disposal at:
- Townsville Maritime Safety Queensland Regional Office - 60 Ross Street, South Townsville
- Townsville Coast Guard - Sir Leslie Thiess Drive, Townsville.
3 – Disposing of Electronic Waste (e-waste)
The following e-waste items are free to recycle up to 20 pieces:
- Televisions (plasma/LCD)
- Computer equipment such as laptops, palmtops, desktops, computer monitors (flat screen only), cards, motherboards, and central processing units (CPUs).
4 – Disposing of Household Batteries and Vapes
We are an accredited B-cycle battery steward and so household batteries and vapes can be dropped off for free at B-Cycle points at over 30 locations across Townsville, including the Stuart Waste Facility, and the Hervey Range Resource Recovery Centre.
Batteries are the most common form of hazardous household waste in Australia. When disposed of in household or workplace bins, batteries (including the ones in vapes) can cause fires in our collection trucks, material recovery facilities, and in landfills.
When safely recycled through the B-cycle scheme, up to 95% of a battery’s components can be turned into new batteries or used in other industries. Help us make a positive impact by responsibly recycling your household batteries.
Removable batteries from a range of household items can be B-cycled, including:
- batteries from vapes and e-cigarettes. (No need to dismantle, just drop them in whole)
- button batteries that power small electronic items such as watches and hearing aids
- easily removable batteries from items such as cameras, power tools, e-bikes and e-scooters*
- rechargeable batteries up to 5kg
- standard sized household batteries used to power everyday items including AA, AAA, AAAA, C, D, 9V and 6V batteries.
Visit the B-cycle website to find your nearest drop-off point.
* Batteries from power tools, e-bikes and e-scooters can only be dropped off at select B-cycle points. Search by battery type and location for these batteries.
5 – Disposing of Paint
Paintback, established in 2016, is an industry-led initiative designed to divert unwanted paint and packaging from ending up in landfill and vital waterways.
Paint is free to dispose of at the Hervey Range Resource Recovery Centre at the Paintback drop-off point. (Paint cannot be disposed of at our other waste facilities).
Up to 100L can be disposed of per vehicle, per visit, secured in containers of 20L or less.
Accepted Paint Products
- deck coatings and floor paints
- interior and exterior architectural paint
- packaging
- primers
- sealers
- stains and shellacs
- undercoats
- varnishes and urethanes (single components)
- wood coatings (containing no pesticides).
Unaccepted Paint Products
- aerosol paints
- anti-fouling coatings
- automotive and industrial surface coating (shop application) paints and finishes
- bagged renders
- caulking compounds epoxies, glues or adhesives
- colourants and tints
- demolition waste
- general waste - plastic, cardboard
- household chemicals
- industrial maintenance coatings
- isocyanates
- paint additives, thinners, mineral spirits, solvents or washings
- resins
- roof patch or repair
- tar-based or bitumen-based products.
6 – What Goes in Your Bins
Visit our What Goes in Your Bins page for information on what can and can't be recycled or put in your bins.
7 – Sort Your Load
View the Sort Your Load factsheet for more information on how you can save time, money and the environment by sorting your waste before you visit the tip.
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