Waste facilities, charges and accepted items

To help prepare your home and properties for the fire danger period, Mount Alexander Shire Council is offering free green waste disposal to local residents and ratepayers between Saturday 30 October and Monday 15 November.

Residents and ratepayers can dispose of garden and green waste at the Castlemaine and Maldon transfer stations at no charge over the period, which includes three weekends.

Green waste includes garden waste such as grass, sticks and branches (less than 10cm in diameter).

The green waste must be free of contaminants such as rubbish and declared noxious weeds, and removed from plastic bags prior to disposal.

Normal green waste fees will apply to businesses or residents acting on behalf of businesses.

Loads containing items other than green waste will be charged accordingly. Normal gate fees will apply before and after the free green waste period.

Residents are also encouraged to compost as much material as possible at home.

Proof of residence in the shire will be required to make the most of the free green waste disposal period, and proof of identification will be required before entry is permitted. COVIDSafe requirements will be in place.

Council is offering residents free mulch at all council transfer stations while stocks last.
The mulch is produced from green waste dropped off at council’s Castlemaine transfer station.

Residents will need to provide proof that they live in the shire, such as a driver's license or
rates notice.

This is a first-come, self-load offer. Residents should bring their own shovel, containers or trailer, and protective clothing.

There are many benefits to using mulch. It can be used to stop soil drying out, prevent
weeds and it also helps improve soil conditions for the root zone of plants.

Waste transfer station locations and opening hours are detailed below.

Council operates two waste management facilities, also known as landfill and transfer stations.

Castlemaine Waste Facility
Sluicers Road, Castlemaine
03 5470 5348
Monday to Sunday 8:00 am to 4.00 pm
(Except Total Fire Ban days, Christmas Day, New Years Day and Good Friday)

Payment methods:
EFTPOS and Credit Cards accepted
Note: cash and cheques are not accepted.

Maldon Transfer Station
Morris Street, Maldon
03 5471 1700
Wednesday and Friday 9.30am to 1.00pm; Saturday and Sunday 9.00am to 1.00pm
(Except Total Fire Ban Days, Christmas Day, New Years Day and Good Friday)

Payment method: Cash only. Cheques are not accepted.

Please note the Castlemaine and Maldon waste facilities are in the North Central Fire District. The waste facilities will be closed on Total Fire Ban days or at short notice to protect public safety as required if conditions deteriorate. More information can be found on the Fire Prevention - Fire Ready page.

To find about what goes in each bin, what you can recycle, and how to dispose of different types of waste read our Recycling and Waste Guide page. To help you save time and money at the Waste Facility please also refer to the 'Sort your load before you go' section below.

Did you know you can recycle a wide range of materials at the Castlemaine Waste Facility and by taking a little extra time to sort your load before you leave home, you can save yourself plenty of time by easily disposing of the different materials at each of the designated collection points.

The Castlemaine Waste Facility has a large co-mingled recycling collection point which collects paper products, rigid plastics (excluding polystyrene), glass bottles and jars, steel cans and household aluminium.

You can also recycle timber, scrap metal, green waste, building rubble, waste oil and filters, car batteries, electronics, mattresses and the list goes on.

Specialised items including chemicals, batteries and light globes can be recycled at various places within the shire. For a list of these recyclables, see our Recycling and Waste Guide page which provides information on what bin different waste items need to go in.

For a detailed list of the separation categories, see the Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Group website.

Tips and tricks

• Check - check ahead to find out what can be recycled.
• Sort and separate - sort your load so it is easy for the operator to see what will be recycled and make it easier to unload.
• Secure – secure your load with appropriate straps and covers to reduce roadside litter and ensure safety of all road users.

Waste disposal costs are affected by a number of factors, distance from recycling hubs, general populations, size of the landfill and infrastructure. Council relies on a range of methods to come up with the item costs for depositing waste materials. We work closely with the operator, bench mark against other Councils (with landfills), use quotes from the industry and calculate actual costs for each service (including landfill levies imposed by the Environmental Protection Authority). The service charges are reviewed and checked each year.

Please note that the Maldon Transfer Station and the Castlemaine Waste Management Facility do not accept commercial quantities of waste.

If you are unsure and require more information, please contact Council on 5471 1700.

You can take domestic quantities of asbestos to the Castlemaine Landfill for disposal. Domestic quantities are defined as 'no more than half a cubic metre'.

When disposing of asbestos you must follow the following procedures:

1. Call the Landfill on 5470 5348 to arrange a suitable time to deliver the material.
2. Double wrap all asbestos in industrial plastic (for example the thick black plastic available by the metre from hardware stores).
3. Make sure each parcel is small enough to be carried by one person.
4. Make sure each parcel is completely sealed with tape.

For further information, please visit the Victorian Asbestos website.

Landfill owners must submit quarterly and annual statements to the Environment Protection Authority (Landfill Levy Statement), declaring the amount of waste received at the waste facilities. These statements determine the levy amount payable. The landfill levy is collected by the EPA to provide additional and ongoing funding to support efforts by government, industry and the community to reduce waste. Landfill levies create an incentive for waste generators to investigate ways to reduce the amount of waste they generate and dispose of to landfill. The current and future levy rates are set by the EPA and can be found on the EPA website.

For further information or to speak with a member of our Infrastructure Team contact us.