Council clean-up rules last checked: June 2026.

Sutherland Shire residents in a house, unit, duplex, villa or townhouse complex with six or fewer dwellings are entitled to two pre-booked clean-ups per financial year. Bookings go through the council's online portal at mywastecollections.com.au/sutherlandshirecouncil. Peak wait times exceed eight weeks, so plan ahead. Each booking is capped at 3 cubic metres (3m x 1m x 1m) of household items; mattresses are capped at two per booking.

How to book your Sutherland Shire Council clean-up

1. Go to mywastecollections.com.au/sutherlandshirecouncil and enter your address. The form shows any completed and current bookings allocated to your property.
2. Choose your preferred date and estimate the materials: general household items, fridges/white goods, mattresses, or garden vegetation. Separate each category when you set items out at the kerb.
3. Complete all steps and save the booking reference number. Your booking is not confirmed without a reference.
4. Need to change the date? Return to the form at least 7 days before your collection date. Cancelling or rebooking within 7 days still counts as one of your two annual allocations for that financial year.

Kerbside preparation rules

Place items on the nature strip the night before your booked collection date. Placing items out earlier may be treated as illegal dumping: Council will contact you to remove the waste within 48 hours, rangers will inspect the site, penalties may apply, and the booking still counts as used even if the items are never collected.

Additional rules:

• Keep the total pile within 3m x 1m x 1m (3 cubic metres), excluding metals and mattresses
• Stack items neatly between the kerb edge and the footpath edge; do not block driveways, roadways or pedestrian paths
• All items must be handleable by two people
• Do not park in front of your clean-up material
• Remove doors from fridges and any furniture with enclosed compartments
• Do not break up furniture
• Place mattresses to allow clear contractor access; they may be collected on a different day, allow up to 5 days

Items accepted by Sutherland Shire Council

The council accepts the items below. Items outside these specifications stay on the kerb and are your responsibility to remove.

• General household items (furniture, lounges, lamps, sporting equipment, bicycles, toys without batteries, child car seats): maximum 3 cubic metres (3m x 1m x 1m) per booking. Anything over the limit will be left behind, and may result in forfeiting your second annual clean-up.
• Bundled garden vegetation: maximum 1.5m long, no thicker than a broomstick, tied with natural string or rope. Council will not return to collect vegetation that was not originally tied and bundled.
• Fence palings and wood: no longer than 1.5m, no protruding nails, maximum 30 pieces.
• Small electrical appliances (toasters, microwaves, juicers, heaters, stereos, vacuums, hair dryers).
• Mattresses and ensemble bases: maximum two mattresses or one ensemble (mattress plus base). Allow up to 5 days for collection as mattresses may be collected by a different truck.
• White goods (fridges with doors removed, stoves, washing machines and dryers): fridges and large white goods may require 2 business days from your collection date.
• Packaging Styrofoam: must be contained in a bag or box; loose foam beans or small packaging balls are not accepted.
• Empty plastic containers and drums.
• Rugs: one average-sized rug up to 2m x 3m, must be rolled and taped.

Items NOT accepted by Sutherland Shire Council

The following items will be left on the kerb if presented. Hazardous and e-waste can be taken to a Community Recycling Centre or one of the council's drop-off events.

• E-waste (TVs, computers, monitors): take to an E-Waste Collection Event
• Items over 1.5m in length
• Business, industrial or commercial waste
• Items containing petrol (lawnmowers, whipper snippers)
• Household food waste
• Hazardous or medical waste: paint, motor or cooking oils, batteries, pesticides, pool chemicals, fuels, medicines, any liquids
• Items with batteries (games, e-bikes, e-scooters, stick vacuums)
• Air conditioning units and solar panels
• Sheet glass (shower screens, mirrors, windows, glass tabletops)
• Gas bottles and fire extinguishers
• Heavy loads of wood or metal
• Building and demolition materials (bricks, rubble, tiles, soil, asbestos)
• Carpet
• Thorny branches and bushes (palm fronds, roses, bamboo, tree stumps and roots)
• Pipes, timbers or roller doors over 1.5m
• Drums or oil heater tanks
• Car parts and tyres
• Railway sleepers
• Sand-filled pool filters
• Cast iron baths
• Fibreglass products (baths, canoes, surfboards, roofing)
• Treated pine and treated timbers

Which suburbs does the Sutherland Shire Council cover?

The Sutherland Shire Council covers 42 suburbs and an area of approximately 370 kilometres squared with a population of over 218,000 (2016 census).

• Alfords Point
• Bangor
• Barden Ridge
• Bonnet Bay
• Bundeena
• Burraneer
• Caringbah
• Caringbah South
• Como
• Cronulla
• Dolans Bay
• Engadine
• Grays Point
• Greenhills Beach
• Gymea
• Gymea Bay
• Heathcote
• Illawong
• Jannali
• Kangaroo Point
• Kareela
• Kirrawee
• Kurnell
• Lilli Pilli
• Loftus
• Lucas Heights
• Maianbar
• Menai
• Miranda
• Oyster Bay
• Port Hacking
• Sandy Point
• Sutherland
• Sylvania
• Sylvania Waters
• Taren Point
• Waterfall
• Woolooware
• Woronora
• Woronora Heights
• Yarrawarrah
• Yowie Bay

Fast rubbish removal alternative

The Sutherland Shire Council's exclusion list is long: carpet, e-waste, A/C units, car parts, building materials, fibreglass products, pool filters, cast iron baths and more are all left on the kerb if presented. If your clean-up includes any of these items, if you have more than 3 cubic metres to remove, or if you cannot wait up to eight weeks for a booking, Paul's Rubbish Removal can clear it same-day across all 42 Sutherland Shire suburbs, from Cronulla to Bundeena to Engadine.

Paul's team collects from inside your property, takes mixed loads the council won't accept, and handles volume the council cap would leave behind. No booking lead time, no volume limit, no items left on the kerb. Call 0407 125 125 for a free quote.

Council vs Paul's Rubbish Removal

How the Sutherland Shire Council clean-up compares with Paul's Rubbish Removal:

• Wait time: the Council can take up to 8 weeks during peak periods; Paul's is same-day.
• Cost: the Council allows two bookings per financial year for eligible residents (houses, units, duplexes, villas and townhouses with up to 6 dwellings); Paul's is paid, with a free quote on 0407 125 125, priced by volume.
• Volume cap: the Council caps each booking at 3m³ (3m x 1m x 1m) and anything over stays on the kerb and may forfeit your second booking; Paul's has no set volume cap.
• Mattresses: the Council takes a maximum of 2 per booking and they may arrive up to 5 days after your scheduled date; Paul's takes them in the same trip, no limit and no extra charge.
• Garden vegetation: the Council accepts it bundled and tied with natural string (max 1.5m, no thicker than a broomstick) and will not return for untied bundles; Paul's takes any green waste, bundled or not.
• What the council won't take: the Council leaves carpet, e-waste, A/C units, car parts, building materials, fibreglass, pool filters and cast iron baths; Paul's takes many of these, call 0407 125 125 to confirm specific items.
• Change of plans: the Council requires cancelling or rebooking at least 7 days before collection and a late change still uses one of your two annual bookings; Paul's lets you rebook any time with no advance notice.

FAQ

Can I put my items out before the night before?

No. Items must go on the kerbside the night before your booked collection date only. Placing them out earlier may be treated as illegal dumping. Council can contact you to remove the waste within 48 hours, rangers will inspect the site, penalties may apply, and the original booking still counts as one of your two annual allocations.

What happens if the council leaves some items behind?

Items that don't meet the specifications (over 3m³, wrong material, improperly prepared) will be left on the kerb. Council may place a notice in your letterbox explaining what was not collected and why. Remaining items are your responsibility to remove and dispose of at your own cost.

What if my garden vegetation isn't tied and bundled?

Bundled garden vegetation must be tied with natural string or rope before collection. If you present vegetation without tying it, the council will not return to collect it; it stays on the kerb and you are responsible for removing it. The booking still counts as used.

Shire residents call Paul's when the council booking queue is too long, or the job includes items the council won't take. Over 15 years clearing Sydney homes, public liability insured, 100% satisfaction guarantee, and over 400 Google reviews. Call 0407 125 125 for a free quote.