Asbestos Disposal in Wollongong

A licensed landfill is the only legal destination for asbestos waste, and Wollongong City Council says you cannot take asbestos to its own waste disposal depot. The NSW EPA's list of facilities that accept household asbestos names one under Illawarra and South Coast, at Dunmore, with a note that waste is only accepted in the shire. Phone before you load anything.

Call (02) 4207 9821

What asbestos disposal in Wollongong actually involves

Wollongong City Council. Council's asbestos page says it is illegal to put asbestos in a household garbage bin or to dump it, that you cannot take asbestos to its waste disposal depot, and that other NSW facilities that accept household asbestos are on the EPA website. Its Community Recycling Centre is at that depot, at Kembla Grange; this site could not read that centre's list of what it takes, so it says nothing about the centre beyond where it is.

The EPA's Illawarra entry. Under Illawarra and South Coast the EPA's list names a facility at Dunmore, and adds that waste is only accepted in the shire for these facilities. It does not say which shire's addresses the facility serves, so ask.

Shellharbour City Council. Council's illegal dumping page carries an asbestos heading and asks anyone who sees dumping to call 4221 6111. This site could not cite Shellharbour's waste pages, so no Shellharbour fee, hours or booking rule is shown.

Four sealed clear waste bags each printed with a white panel reading CAUTION ASBESTOS, lined up on plastic sheeting on a paved path beside a weatherboard wall — asbestos disposal, Wollongong. Illustrative example.

Phone first, then pack and carry

The EPA says to phone the landfill in advance to confirm it takes household asbestos, and many landfills need a booking at least 24 hours ahead. Non-friable asbestos must be securely packaged, friable asbestos kept in a sealed container, and all asbestos waste carried in a covered, leak-proof part of the vehicle.

Never in a bin

Asbestos must never go in a kerbside bin, or in an uncovered or unapproved skip bin.

If you carry more than 100 kg or 10 m² of asbestos waste from your home yourself, you report the load to the EPA on its household asbestos form within 24 hours of delivering it; if a licensed contractor carries it, the contractor reports it instead. You stay responsible for your asbestos waste being disposed of lawfully even when you pay someone to take it away, so get a copy of the disposal receipt. The EPA's fines for the wrong handling of asbestos waste run up to $7,500 for an individual and $15,000 for a company, and up to $1,000,000 if the matter reaches court. A free collection trial is planned, not running: the NSW Government plans a two-year trial of free pick-up and disposal for smaller amounts of household asbestos, expected to start in 2027.

Asbestos removal costs and rules check