To help residents and businesses plan for the Christmas and New Year period, here’s a summary of Council services over the holiday period from 24 December 2025 to 5 January 2026 – there are a few temporary changes to operating hours at some facilities.

The kerbside rubbish and recycling collection slides a day as there is no collection on Christmas Day. See details below.

The customer services counter at Te Whare Whakatere, Baring Square East, will close early at 1pm on Wednesday 24 December and be closed only on the public holidays during the festive season.

The service desk will be open 10am-4pm for administration inquiries on Monday 29 December, Tuesday 30 December and Wednesday 31 December.

You can still get in touch with us by phone at any time over the holiday period if you have a problem or urgently need to contact us, as our telephone service will be operating 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week - please phone 03 307 7700.

Looking for something to do with the kids? Check out our summer activity guide here.

Rubbish and recycling

There is no kerbside rubbish and recycling collection on Christmas Day (Thursday 25 December) so Council will be collecting everyone’s wheelie bins one day later than normal that week. Thursday’s collection moves to Friday, and Friday’s collection to Saturday.

There’s no change to kerbside collection services for the week beginning Monday 29 December and bins will be emptied as usual on Thursday 1 January, even though it is New Year’s Day.

Please sort your recycling correctly: Paper, gift wrapping and flattened cardboard can be put in the yellow recycling bin, but metallic, plastic or foil wrapping, bows and ribbons aren’t recyclable and need to go into the red rubbish bin.

Try the tear test - if you can’t easily rip it, it’s likely to have a plastic coating so chuck it in the red bin, along with plastic toy and gift packaging. Still not sure, check it out on binitright.nz.

Remember to have your wheelie bins out by 7.30am on collection days and use your windstrap, whether it's windy or not.

Resource Recovery Parks

The Ashburton Resource Recovery Park will close at 12pm on Wednesday 24 December, and be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. It will be open and operating usual hours (8am-6pm) from Monday 29 December to Wednesday 31 December.

The resource recovery park will be closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday 1 January, however the facility will be open on Friday 2 January and resume normal hours thereafter. Normal summer hours for the Ashburton park are 8am-6pm Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm Saturday, 9am-5pm Sunday.

The Rakaia Resource Recovery Park will be closed on Wednesday 24 December and Friday 26 December, and closed on Wednesday 31 December and Friday 2 January.

The Methven green waste facility will be closed on Wednesday 24 December and Wednesday 31 December.

EA Networks Centre

The centre will close at 3pm on Wednesday 24 December and be closed on 25 and 26 December. It will open from 10am-5pm on Saturday 27 December, Sunday 28, Monday 29 and Tuesday 30. It will close at 3pm on New Year’s Eve (31 December).

The centre will be closed on 1 and 2 January.

Normal hours resume for the gym, pool and stadium from Saturday 3 January.

Keep an eye on the centre’s Facebook page for other holiday activities.

Mt Hutt Memorial Hall

The Mt Hutt Memorial Hall at Methven will be closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January. Operating hours on other days are 10am-2pm.

Ashburton Library

The Ashburton Library will close at 1pm on Wednesday 24 December, and be closed all day on 25 and 26 December. The library will be open 10am-4pm from Saturday 27 December to Wednesday 31 December.

It will be closed on 1 and 2 January, and reopen 10am-4pm on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 January. Normal hours resume Monday 5 January.

Rokowhiria - Ashburton Art Gallery and Museum

Rokowhiria will be closed Thursday 25 December and Friday 26 December, but resume its normal opening hours 10am-4pm from Saturday 27 December. The facility will be open New Year’s Day.

There’s always a host of activities and exhibitions, including the great Santa Hunt when visitors try to find all the sneaky Santas in their hiding spots.

Look out for details on Facebook for the daily activities during the holidays.

Customer Services

Council’s customer services counter at Baring Square East will be closed 25 and 26 December, and 1 and 2 January. It will be open on Monday 29 December, Tuesday 30 December, and Wednesday 31 December from 10am-4pm for administration inquiries.

If you have a problem or urgently need to contact us, then the afterhours/24 hours-a-day telephone service will be operating - please phone 03 307 7700.

Normal hours resume Monday 5 January.

Stockwater

The stockwater network will be operating as normal, with the rangers available if required. Please phone 307-7700 if you have stockwater queries.

Public toilets around the district will be open daily as usual, and Open Spaces staff will be on deck to keep our parks and reserves looking ship shape.

All services will return to normal by Monday 5 January.