Most of our facilities have modified hours over the Christmas period, but everyone’s favourite Council sites, services and facilities holiday hours can be found on our website.
There are also some events happening over the festive time, check out what’s on here and on our events calendar.
Over the break, our social media channels will be monitored, but not as much as usual. But our Contact Centre is operating 24/7 365 days of the year, so if you find Santa's got stuck in the chimney, give us a call on (04) 499 4444 – they may be able to help with that, and nearly everything else!
- With Christmas and New Year’s Day both falling on a Saturday, rubbish and recycling collections won’t be affected. Due to a nationwide driver shortage we are still experiencing delays with our collections, so if your rubbish or recycling is not collected on your normal collection day, please leave it out and it will be picked up the next day. If your rubbish is collected by a private operator, contact them directly for information on public holiday collections.
- There are no time limits and parking is free around Wellington on all public holidays.
- The Southern Landfill and Transfer Station will be closed Christmas Day (25 Dec) and New Year’s Day (1 Jan), and open normal trading hours the rest of the time. Public holidays are a busy time at the Southern Landfill, so be prepared for possible delays.
- The Tip Shop will be closed Christmas Day (25 Dec) and New Year’s Day (1 Jan), and open normal trading hours the rest of the time.
- Harbourside Market will be closed on Sunday 26 December and Sunday 2 January.
- Metlink is offering free travel to all passengers travelling on bus and train services on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
Remember, when the festivities are coming to an end, you can drop off your Christmas tree at the Southern Landfill Recycle Centre for free. From 26 December to Wellington Anniversary weekend, your old tree will be turned into Capital Compost – just make sure you remember to remove all your decorations beforehand.
While most shops and businesses may be closed, there’s still a lot to do on Christmas Day. Enjoy one of the many walks around the capital, a picnic lunch in the Botanic Gardens, crank up the BBQ at Shorland Park, Grasslees Reserve, or Otari-Wilton’s Bush, or let someone else do the cooking and reserve your table at one of the restaurants open on the day – St Johns Bar, Logan Brown, and Dragons to name a few.
Visit the holiday hours section of our website for all information about our services and facilities during the holiday period: http://wellington.govt.nz/holiday-hours.