Golden Plains Shire Council will have altered hours during the Christmas and New Year holiday period 2025/26.
Customer Experience
Friday 19 December 2025
The Smythesdale Customer Hub (19 Heales Street, Smythesdale) will be closed all day.
The Bannockburn Customer Hub (2 Pope Street, Bannockburn) will close at 12pm for the remainder of the day.
The Customer Experience Team will be available by phone until 12pm and will close for the remainder of the day.
Monday 22 December 2025
Council’s offices and the Smythesdale and Bannockburn Customer Hubs will be open 8.30am – 5pm.
Tuesday 23 December 2025
Council’s offices and the Smythesdale and Bannockburn Customer Hubs will be open 8.30am – 5pm.
Wednesday 24 December 2025
Council’s offices and the Smythesdale and Bannockburn Customer Hub will be open from 8.30am – 12pm. Council will close at 12pm for the Holiday Period.
Thursday 25 December 2025 – Sunday 4 January 2026
Council’s Offices and Customer Hubs will be closed for the holiday period. Essential services will be available in this period. If you need urgent assistance, please call 5220 7111 and follow the prompts.
Monday 5 January 2026
Council’s offices and Customer Hubs will reopen at 8.30am.
Rubbish, Recycle and Glass Collection
From Thursday 25 December, the following collections will be completed one day later than usual.
| Normal Collection Day | Replacement Collection Day |
| Thursday 25 December | Friday 26 December |
| Friday 26 December | Saturday 27 December |
As always, please remember to place your bins out the night before or by 6am on collection day. For further information, and to view the collection calendar, click here.
Rokewood Transfer Station
The Rokewood Resource Recovery Centre will be closed on Sunday 28 December 2025. It will re-open on Sunday 4 January 2026 from 10am to 3pm.
Early Years Services
Council’s Kindergarten and Limited Hours Care programs in Bannockburn, Inverleigh, Meredith, Rokewood, and Teesdale will close from 4pm, Thursday 18 December 2025 for the holiday period, and resume from Thursday 29 January 2026.
The Bannockburn Family Services Centre reception and Maternal and Child Health service will close at 12pm, and Kardinia Early Learning at 4pm, on Wednesday 24 December 2025.
Services will re-open as follows:
- Bannockburn Family Services Centre: 8.30 am, Monday 5 January 2026.
- Kardinia Early Learning: Staff will return on Friday 2 January 2026 with children returning at 6:30 am, Monday 5 January 2026.
Maternal and Child Health Services
Maternal and Child Health appointments, including new birth home visits, will conclude at 12:00 pm on Wednesday 24 December 2025 for the holiday period and resume at 8.30 am on Monday 5 January 2026.
For urgent Maternal and Child Health concerns:
- In an emergency, call 000.
- The Maternal and Child Health Line is available 24/7 and staffed by qualified Maternal and Child Health nurses. Please call 13 22 29.