Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility remains closed to the general public until further notice to prioritise the landfilling of business waste that includes rotting waste and kerbside collections across the municipality.    

City of Darwin thanks the community for their patience as staff and contractors navigate the significant clean-up operation across the municipality. The Council are working closely with the Northern Territory Government to ensure Darwin residents have access to an alternative location to dispose of emergency green waste that has fallen within their property lines.  

While Shoal Bay is closed to the general public, the facility is open to receive and process business waste, including rotting materials and kerbside collections.  

City of Darwin have prepared the below FAQs to provide clarity on how residents can safely and effectively manage waste following Cyclone Fina:  

Where can the community take their green waste?  

• General public can take their green waste to an alternative emergency waste management site at Hidden Valley (171 Hidden Valley Road). Further details are available here. 

Is there a cost to dispose of waste at Hidden Valley?  

• There is no charge to residents to bring their green waste to Hidden Valley.  

What are the opening times for Hidden Valley? 

• Ordinary hours are 7:00 am – 6:00 pm, but the community are encouraged to refer to the SecureNT website for up-to-date timings.  

Will my bins still be collected at the same time this week?  

• City of Darwin kerbside collections are operating on the standard schedule. Some delays may occur while we manage increased demand and navigate road closures. 

Why is Shoal Bay prioritising business waste?  

• City of Darwin prioritises effective waste collection to protect community health.  

• Rotting food in residents’ bins for an extended period, especially in a hot climate, creates a public health risk.  

• It is critical that we are processing these kerbside collections effectively with minimal disruption.  

When will Shoal Bay reopen to the general public?  

• Shoal Bay is expected to reopen to the general public tomorrow, 26 November, but will not be able to accept green waste – residents will need to continue to take this to Hidden Valley. 

Did City of Darwin not plan for the possibly of the Shoal Bay sustaining damage?  

• Yes. Comprehensive planning has long been in place for scenarios where Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility may be impacted during a major weather event. 

• The Northern Territory Government has an Emergency Waste Management Plan for Greater Darwin, and we are operating in accordance with that plan including them standing up the Hidden Valley green waste site. 

• These emergency waste site arrangements ensure waste services can continue even if Shoal Bay is temporarily unavailable to the public.  

• Any additional emergency sites will be activated and communicated to the public as required. 

• These coordinated plans are designed to prioritise community safety, maintain essential services, and support a rapid clean-up across Darwin. 

What if a tree on council land has fallen within a residents’ property boundary causing damaged. Who pays for the damage? 

• Residents are responsible for managing any damage within their property. City of Darwin crews will only clear debris up to the property boundary and cannot enter private land.  

• Residents may submit an insurance claim later if they believe the City of Darwin is at fault. 

What if fallen trees and debris are too big for a resident to clear themselves?  

• If a fallen tree or green waste is within your property boundary, it remains the responsibility of the resident to arrange for its removal. In most cases, this can be managed by engaging a qualified contractor, such as an arborist or tree-clearing service. 

• Residents are encouraged to check their home and contents insurance policy, as many insurers cover the cost of removing cyclone-damaged trees and debris, particularly when they pose a safety risk or have caused damage to structures, fencing or vehicles. 

• If the debris is posing an immediate danger - for example, entangled in power lines - please do not attempt to remove it. Contact Power and Water or emergency services to make the area safe before any clean-up work is undertaken. 

• Where debris has fallen onto public land, such as roads, footpaths, or nature strips, City of Darwin crews are working systematically to clear these areas. 

• We are prioritising locations that affect safety, access, and essential services.  

City of Darwin are advising the public not to place green waste on the verge, but I thought I was being helpful clearing it off the road. Why is this? 

• We thank residents who have safely helped clear green waste from our roads.  

• If you have removed cyclone-related debris from the road in front of your home and it is safe to do so, you may place this debris on your verge for collection. 

• However, we ask the community to please avoid bringing green waste from inside your property lines out onto the verge.  

• This material is considered household green waste and remains the responsibility of residents to manage and dispose of appropriately at the Hidden Valley emergency waste site. 

• Above all, residents’ safety comes first - please only clear debris if it is safe and never attempt to remove large branches, trees or anything tangled with power lines. 

Who is clearing the verges and when?  

• The post-cyclone cleanup is a whole of Government response.  

• City of Darwin, in partnership with the Northern Territory Government, has a structured and prioritised clean-up program already underway. Our crews, supported by contracted operators, are working systematically across the municipality to clear verges of storm-related debris. Clean-up efforts are being prioritised based on: 

• Safety risks (e.g., blocked roads, damaged infrastructure, hazards) 

• Access requirements for emergency services and essential utilities 

• High-traffic areas near schools, commercial centres and key community facilities 

• Residential streets, progressing suburb by suburb 

• This coordinated approach ensures resources are deployed efficiently and that the most critical areas are addressed first.  

• While the full clean-up will take time due to the scale of debris across Darwin, residents can expect to see crews actively working through their suburbs in the days and weeks ahead. 

Will I be fined for the debris I’ve cleared from the road and placed on the verge, or for the debris that has fallen onto the verge outside my property? 

• No. You will not be fined for storm debris that was already on the road or that has fallen onto the verge during the cyclone. If you have safely helped to clear debris off the road and placed it on the verge, we appreciate your efforts - City of Darwin will clear this as part of the coordinated clean-up. 

• We understand this is a difficult and disruptive time, and many residents are doing what they can to support their neighbourhoods. Our teams are applying reasonable discretion and focusing on recovery, not enforcement. 

• If the green waste is within a resident’s property boundary, it remains the responsibility of the resident to arrange for its removal through a contractor or via their home and contents insurance. 

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General contacts:  

• For City of Darwin Cyclone Fina related enquiries and reports, please call 8930 0300 and press #1.  

• For general City of Darwin enquiries, please call 8930 0300 and press #2. 

• To report non-urgent issues, please do so via our Snap, Send, Solve app, details of how to download and use the platform can be found here.   

Emergency contacts:  

• For life threatening emergencies or serious injuries, call 000.  

• Power, water, or sewerage issues, call Power Water on 1800 245 090.  

• If your call relates to damage to your property, damage to main roads or traffic signals please call the Northern Territory Government on 1800 888 901. 

• You can reach NT Emergency Services (NTES) on 132 500.  

Stay informed through emergency broadcaster ABC Radio Darwin 105.7 and visit https://securent.nt.gov.au/