Impacts to Council services and facilities over the festive season

Council services and facilities will have changed operating conditions from Friday 19 December until Tuesday 6 January 2026.

18 Dec 2025 • 10:05AM

Waste and Resource Recovery Services

Red, yellow and green bin collections will continue as normal across the holiday period, including public holidays.
Council’s resource recovery centres are open every day of the year, including public holidays, accepting waste, recycling, Treasure Trove donations and green waste as usual.
Treasure Trove’s will continue to operate in December on Saturdays and Sundays and aren’t impacted by any public holidays during the holiday period.

Bus Services

On Monday 22 December and Tuesday 23 December, Council is providing more than 50 additional bus trips a day to service the CBD and 4 suburban centres (Indooroopilly, Garden City, Carindale and Chermside) to coincide with extended shopping hours to midnight. Extra services start from 7.50pm.
Buses will operate a Sunday timetable on Thursday 25 December and Thursday 1 January, a Saturday timetable on Friday 26 December and a normal weekday timetable on Wednesday 31 December.
There will be no early morning CityGlider or Nightlink services on Thursday 25 December or Friday 26 December.
Peak period Rocket services will not operate on weekdays between Monday 29 December and Friday 2 January.
Additional services will be provided on New Year’s Eve to help people travel into the CBD for the fireworks display and then home again afterwards.
Nightlink services will operate every 30 minutes between midnight and 5am on Thursday 1 January, and Blue and Maroon Glider services will also operate during this period on their usual weekend timetable.
For more information, visit www.translink.com.au or phone 13 12 30.

River services

All ferries will operate on a normal weekday timetable on Wednesday 24 December.
On Thursday 25 December, CityCats and Cross River services will operate on a reduced service timetable.
There will be no Bulimba to Teneriffe or Kangaroo Point Cross River Ferry services on Thursday 25 December.
All ferries will operate on a Sunday/Public Holiday timetable on Friday 26 December and Thursday 1 January.
On Wednesday 31 December, all ferries will operate on a normal weekday timetable with some changes to frequency. 
- CityCat services will operate at a 15-minute frequency from 6.30am until last service at 2.53am on Thursday 1 January.
- Due to fireworks near Regatta terminal, ferry services will be suspended at Regatta for 30 minutes between 11.45 pm and 12.15 am.
- Cross River services will have extended services until approximately 2.30am on Thursday 1 January.
- There will be no change to the Bulimba-Teneriffe Cross River service.
For more information, visit www.translink.com.au or phone 13 12 30.

Pools

Council pools will be open over the break, with the exception of Thursday 25 December.
On public holidays, most Council pools are open between 9am-5pm but please visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au for specific trading hours.
Council will continue its $2 Summer Dips initiative, reducing general entry fees to $2 for Council pools between December and February.

Community Facilities  

Riverstage will be closed from Tuesday 23 December until Monday 5 January.
City Hall, including the Museum of Brisbane, will be closed on public holidays.
Community Halls will be open for pre-organised bookings, except for Wednesday 31 December, when all venues are closed.
The Planetarium will be closed on public holidays. 
Boondall Wetlands Environment Centre and Karawatha Forest Discovery Centre will close from Sunday 21 December until Wednesday 7 January.
Downfall Creek Bushland Centre will close from 4pm on Friday 19 December until 9am Wednesday 7 January. 
Cemetery grounds will be open as normal on all days including public holidays. Cemetery offices will be closed on public holidays.

Libraries

All other Council libraries will be closed from 12pm Wednesday 24 December until Monday 29 December, and from 12pm Wednesday 31 December until Friday 2 January.
For the month of December, customers can enjoy an increased loan limit of 30 items to borrow over the festive season.
Council’s 24/7 library lockers will remain open for book returns over this period.

Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Mt Coot-tha

Access to the Botanic Gardens at Mt Coot-tha remains open to the public year-round. Current summertime hours are 8am-6pm. Vehicle access in the Gardens is not permitted on weekends, public holidays and from 4pm on weekdays.
Mt Coot-tha Visitor Information Centre – Closed on 25 and 26 December.
Mt Coot-tha Library – Closed on public holidays .
Botanic Gardens Café – Closed on public holidays.
The Volunteer Guides and Welcomers of Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha will not be operating from Tuesday 23 December 2025 until Monday 5 January 2026.

City Botanic Gardens

Access to the City Botanic Gardens remains open to the public year-round. 
The City Botanic Gardens Information Kiosk is closed until Tuesday 27 January 2026.

For more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call Council on any day during the holiday period on 3403 8888.

For public transport options, visit www.translink.com.au or call 13 12 30.

For traffic information visit www.QLDtraffic.qld.gov.au or call 13 19 40.