Shire Administration Office

Changes to DWMF Opening Hours - new schedule effective Monday 30 March 2026

Following a recent safety incident and a subsequent risk review, the operating hours of the Donnybrook Waste Management Facility (DWMF) will change to the following schedule from Monday 30 March 2026, as per the outcomes of the Ordinary Council Meeting held in March 2026.

• Monday: 11:00am - 3:00pm (previously 1:00pm - 5:00pm, changed to new hours)
• Tuesday: 11:00am - 3:00pm (previously 12:00pm - 4:00pm, changed to new hours)
• Wednesday: Closed (no changes)
• Thursday: Closed (no changes)
• Friday: 8:00am - 12:00pm (no changes)
• Saturday: 8:00am - 2:00pm (previously 7:00am - 2:00pm, now opens later)
• Sunday: 10:00am - 4:00pm (previously 10:00am - 5:00pm, now closes earlier)

What happened

In mid‑February 2026, a kerbside collection truck unloading at DWMF identified that part of its load was smouldering. When exposed to air, the waste ignited. Thankfully, a site attendant was present at the time and acted quickly to remove the burning waste, with the fire safely extinguished by the Donnybrook Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade.

While no damage occurred, the incident was classified as a “near miss” and highlighted the importance of having staff on site during kerbside waste drop‑offs.

Why the change is needed

All kerbside waste collected throughout the Shire is delivered to DWMF, and under the previous operating hours, these deliveries could occur when the site was unattended. While this didn't always happen, this increases the risk of:

• Fires from “hot loads” caused by inappropriate items such as batteries, vapes, aerosols or hot ash – items like these are known as Household Hazardous Waste, which should taken to a designated drop-off point for disposal (refer to Watch Your Waste to learn more)
• Fires spreading within the landfill
• Impact to surrounding State Forest, nearby properties and the Donnybrook townsite
• Temporary facility closures and waste being redirected off‑site

Landfill fires are difficult to extinguish and pose serious safety, environmental and community risks. To reduce these risks, Council has adjusted weekday opening hours so a site attendant is present during kerbside waste deliveries. This change is supported by:

• A slight reduction in weekend opening hours to offset staffing costs
• Updated gate signage
• Future tip passes displaying a QR code only, directing customers to one reliable source for current opening hours

What this means for the community

The revised hours are expected to have minimal impact on the current budget, as staffing adjustments are balanced by reduced weekend hours. Overall, the change will:

• Enable faster response to any issues during waste drop‑off
• Improve safety for staff, contractors and the wider community
• Support compliance with environmental licence requirements
• Reduce the risk of fires escalating at the facility

Council thanks the community for their understanding as these changes are implemented to protect public safety, the environment and the long‑term operation of the Donnybrook Waste Management Facility.

Containers for Change - Cash4Cans (C4C)

Containers for Change is a community-based program that is managed by Cash4Cans (C4C). It not only encourages sustainability, but gives locals a convenient option to recycle their eligible beverage containers!

The Containers for Change movement is a way for containers to live on, again and again - when you return your 10c containers through this programme, you're playing a part of a bigger cycle where everybody wins. 10c containers are saved from landfill so they can live another life, with the benefit of creating jobs and money going back into the pockets of everyday Western Australians.

Visit the C4C website

Follow C4C on Facebook

About Containers for Change (WA)

This was previously managed by the Donnybrook Lions Club.

Am I eligible for a Tip Pass?

Ratepayers (someone who owns land in the Shire) are issued with a Tip Pass as a part of their annual rates notice - for those who are renting, you will need to speak to your landlord or property manager about obtaining a tip pass.

To be eligible for a tip pass, you must be a have and/or own a property within the Shire of Donnybrook Balingup. If your property is in the kerbside collection area, you will be charged for the appropriate bin service in that area on your rates. Depending on your property and location, if you are eligible, you will receive a Tip Pass with your rates notice. You may contact the Shire Office for additional ‘clips’ if required.

Where do I get my Tip Pass? 

In October 2022, the Shire went digital with its Tip Passes. This makes better use of technology and improves processes and systems relevant to the Tip Passes, and ensures that even if you lose the physical copy of your pass, your details and remaining Tip Pass uses are safe and can be reprinted at the Shire Administration Office or emailed/posted to you.

Your Tip Pass can be located on the bottom of your annual rates notice. These paper copies are tearable and have a unique QR Code that corresponds to your individual property, making the allocation process entirely hassle free! The QR Code must be presented to the site attendant at one of the approved Shire waste facilities so that the appropriate number of 'clicks' can be deducted from your pass. This functions the exact same as paper passes, where the amount of 'clicks' is determined by the size and nature of your load of waste.

More about Waste Management

Our waste services are for all residents in the Shire, which includes a kerbside collection service, waste management facilities (includes transfer and landfill at respective locations). Other general waste services available consist of the disposal and processing of general waste, recyclables, and organic materials.

As of the start of the 23-24 financial year, the previous contract for the Shire's waste services that spanned over 10 years expired on 30 June 2023. As such, after an extensive process undertaken by the South West Regional Waste Group, the Shire has a new contract that has been executed with Cleanaway to undertake kerbside collection and disposal services, commencing 1 July 2023.

The South West Regional Waste Group consists of representatives of the following local governments, as well as the Shire of Donnybrook Balingup:

What do I do if my bin is missing, damaged, or has been stolen?

If your collection was missed, please call Cleanaway directly on (08) 9724 7905. This number is exclusive to the Shire and its residents - by contacting Cleanaway direct, they can contact their truck drivers and assist you with getting your rubbish collected sooner.

To order a new bin, replacement bin (broken/stolen), or to discuss bin repair, please contact the Shire Administration Office. Once we collect the relevant information from you, we send a report to Cleanaway. From here, replacements and the collection of waste from missed kerbside bins are conducted throughout Friday.

More about Kerbside Bin Collection

What do the different Recycling Codes mean on different items?

The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) introduced a code system in 1988 that helps with recycling plastic by numbers. Almost all plastic products bear the general recycling symbol: a triangle formed by three circling arrows. The number in the triangle indicates the type of plastic. There are six common types of plastic and one miscellaneous category with the number 7. Though the codes serve no real purpose in terms of waste separation, the recycling code can be used by consumers to make a distinction between plastics that would be safer to use than other plastics. You can read more on the Information Sheet below:

Recycling Codes - Information Sheet