Which bin, how often
| Bin | Lid | Collected |
|---|---|---|
| Organics | Lime green | Weekly |
| Recycling | Blue or yellow | Fortnightly |
| General waste | Dark green or red | Fortnightly |
To find your own collection day, the council’s bin night page lets you search by address and has two 2026 collection calendars, A and B. If you live in a unit, search with your street number only. Bins are collected on public holidays except Good Friday and Christmas Day.
Putting a bin out so it gets emptied
In short: have it at the kerb by 6am with the lid closed, the handle towards your house and a gap of about half a metre to the next bin. Keep it under 60 kilograms, and leave it out no longer than a day before or after collection.
Bins belong to the address, so they stay when you move.
The organics change of 1 October 2026
The council is moving organics processing to a composting facility in Huntly, so that food and garden waste is turned into compost in Bendigo instead of being transported over an hour away to Stanhope. To keep the compost clean, the bin’s rules narrowed from 1 October 2026.
Still goes in organics
- All food, including meat, seafood, bones, citrus and dairy
- Garden clippings, prunings, weeds, and branches under 10 cm across
- Natural timber, untreated and unstained
- The City’s own compostable caddy liners (no other brand)
Moves out of organics
- Cardboard, pizza boxes, clean paper and newspaper: recycling
- Soiled or shredded paper, paper towel and tissues: general waste
- Pet waste and kitty litter, hair and fur, tea bags: general waste
- Wooden skewers and cutlery, and bioplastic cups and containers: general waste
The council adds that liners are not compulsory, and food can go in loose.
Glass
Victoria is removing glass from kerbside recycling by 2027, and instead of a fourth bin the council has set up free glass drop-off skips. The one in Kangaroo Flat is at the Kangaroo Flat Recreation Reserve, reached via Luxton Terrace.
Rates instalments for 2026–27
The council’s due dates, as at October 2026:
- 1st
Wednesday 30 September 2026 (also the date for paying in full)
- 2nd
Monday 30 November 2026
- 3rd
Monday 1 March 2027
- 4th
Monday 31 May 2027
Interest may be charged on an instalment left unpaid after its due date. The council offers direct debit by the fortnight, month or instalment, and publishes financial hardship guidelines with payment arrangements. The pay your rates page lists every way to pay.
Building near the old places
Several Kangaroo Flat places carry a Heritage Overlay number in the Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme: the railway station complex (HO704), the former police station on Camp Street (HO502) and the Calder Highway avenue of honour (HO501). The council says a free Planning Property Report will show whether a property is in a Heritage Overlay and its number.
In plain terms, the council says that under the overlay you generally need a planning permit to demolish, build (a fence counts) or change the outside of a building, to paint an outside surface that has never been painted, to subdivide or consolidate land, or to carry out works or put up a sign.
For most heritage places, the Greater Bendigo Heritage Permit Exemptions Incorporated Plan exempts many minor works, such as some pools, fences, additions and alterations, if they meet its conditions. For a first answer, the council runs an online service that gives a preliminary guide to whether a project needs a permit, and says plainly that its result is not a planning decision. A duty planner can also call back within three working days, or meet for up to 15 minutes at the Bendigo office, 10am to 4pm Monday to Thursday.
Reaching the council
The general number is 1300 002 642. The main office is Galkangu, the Bendigo GovHub, at 189–229 Lyttleton Terrace, Bendigo, open from 9am on weekdays, closing at 4.30pm except Tuesdays (4pm), and closed on public holidays. The council suggests calling first, since a question can often be answered by phone. Its contact page also explains how to reach it through the National Relay Service or an interpreter.