Our opening hours during the festive season

Published on 19 November 2025

From all of us here at Woollahra Council, we wish you a safe and joyous New Year.

End of year message from the Mayor of Woollahra

These are our opening hours and services over the holiday period.

Woollahra Council Chambers

Woollahra Council Chambers will be closed from 4.30pm Wednesday 24 December 2025 until 8am on Friday 2 January 2026.

During this closure period our after-hours call centre and emergency staff will be able to assist with any urgent enquiries. Please call 9391 7000. For all other service requests complete our online form or log a service request anywhere, anytime via the Woollahra Council App.

Waste services

There will be no changes to your weekly waste and recycling services during the festive season. Present your bins as usual, the evening before collection.

If you have a real/organic Christmas tree (ONLY), you can leave it out for collection next to your green waste bin on your regular service day.

Special event bins must be ordered by 4.30pm on Monday 15 December 2025. The last delivery will take place on Wednesday 24 December 2025. Service will recommence from Monday 5 January 2026.

Council libraries

Woollahra Libraries will operate under special hours through the holiday season:

Wednesday 24 December: 9am - 5pm (Double Bay), 12pm - 5pm (Paddington & Watsons Bay)*

Thursday 25 December - Friday 26 December: Closed

Saturday 27 December: 10am - 4pm (Double Bay), 10am - 4pm (Paddington), Watsons Bay is closed*

Sunday 28 December: 10am - 4pm (Double Bay), 10am - 4pm (Paddington), Watsons Bay is closed

Monday 29 December: 9am - 5pm (Double Bay), 9.30am - 5pm (Paddington), 2pm - 5pm (Watsons Bay)*

Tuesday 30 December: 9am - 5pm (Double Bay), 9.30am - 5pm (Paddington & Watsons Bay)

Wednesday 31 December: 9am - 12pm (Double Bay), Paddington & Watsons Bay are closed

Thursday 1 January 2026: Closed

Friday 2 January 2026: 9am - 5pm (Double Bay), 9.30am - 5pm (Paddington), 2pm - 5pm (Watsons Bay)*

* Please Note: Watsons Bay Member Access hours continue on these dates.

Normal opening hours apply before 24 December and after 2 January.

Full details of library operating hours are available on our library webpage. You can also download our library app.

Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf Opening Hours

Wednesday 24 December: Open, 1pm - 4pm

Thursday 25 December - Friday 26 December: Closed

Saturday 27 December: Open, 10am - 5pm

Sunday 28 December: Open, 10am - 5pm

Monday 29 December: Closed

Tuesday 30 December: Closed

Wednesday 31 December: Closed

Thursday 1 January 2026: Closed

Friday 2 January 2026: Open, 10am - 6pm

Visit Woollahra Gallery at Redleaf website for more info and current exhibitions.

Service Requests

To lodge a service request download our Woollahra App.

Christmas Tree Collection

Natural Christmas Trees can be placed neatly and safely alongside your green-lid bin for collection from 26 December 2025 until 31 January 2026.

New Year's Eve

For information on New Year’s Eve fireworks vantage points, along with parking, local road closures and traffic management information, visit our New Year's Eve website.

Conveyancing certificates

Section 10.7, 121ZP, 735A, and 88G conveyancing certificates (both standard and expedites) cannot be requested from 12pm on Thursday, 18 December 2025, until 9am on Monday 5 January 2026.

Section 603 conveyancing certificates (both standard and expedites) cannot be requested from 12pm on Wednesday, 24 December 2025, until 9am on Monday 5 January 2026.

Visit our conveyancing certificates page for more information.

2025 Deadlines for Development Applications (DAs) and related applications

DAs lodged and formally accepted³ between 17 November 2025 and 21 November 2025 will be notified/advertised on Council’s website on 10 December 2025 until 16 January 2026 (extended notification period).

DAs lodged and formally accepted after 21 November 2025 will NOT be notified/advertised until mid-January 2026.

1. The notification periods indicated above are a consequence of Council’s Community Participation Plan and the statutory requirements of the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979.
2. Integrated development applications will be subject to an extended notification/advertising period.
3. Development applications lodged via the NSW Planning Portal are not formally accepted by Council until all payments have been received and Council acknowledges lodgement.
4. Development applications requiring further assessment information may not be notified/advertised until the requested information has been provided to Council.

School Holiday Activities

We've been waiting the entire year for summer and now it's here! The kids are on school holidays for six weeks and we've got some fun-filled activities to keep the kids entertained in December and January. There are creative craft workshops, games, movies and more. And best of all, they're really affordable and some are even free! Find out more.

Directory of festive season support

Not everyone in our community has friends or family to connect with during the festive season. If you or someone you care about needs some support or just a friendly face on Christmas Day or during the holidays we have an amazing group of organisations and volunteers who want to make sure everyone feels cared for.

As the holiday season approaches, we want to ensure all our Woollahra residents have access to important resources and support, especially during a time that can be stressful or challenging for some.

Read our directory of support to find out where you can get access to emergency accommodation, food and mental health support. Help is just a phone call away.

Be mindful of pool safety

As the festive season approaches, we’re reminding people to keep young children safe around backyard swimming pools.

The latest research from Royal Life Saving Australia found that 532 children aged four and under have drowned in the past 19 years. Swimming pools remain the leading location for child drownings, accounting for more than half of all deaths and most are caused by accidental falls.

Please make sure your pool is safe and complies with the law, check your fence and gate, ensure you have a CPR chart clearly displayed – and most importantly, keep watch of your little ones at all times.

Common breaches include broken or faulty latches on gates, gates that are propped open, climbable objects or vegetation near pool fences, low fence heights or missing CPR resuscitation charts.

For more information on keeping children safe around swimming pools visit Royal Life Saving Australia.

Public holiday closure: Monday 5 October