
Hard rubbish collectionHow it works in each council in Melbourne’s east
Every council in Melbourne’s east runs hard rubbish differently: booked or scheduled, once a year or twice, and different sizes. Here’s how each works, and what none of them will take.
- Six councils side by side
- From each council’s own pages
- What to do with the rest
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The short answer
Hard rubbish is household material that won’t fit in ya supplier’s bins, such as furniture, whitegoods and timber, and councils collect it either when you book or in a scheduled run by area. Knox, Maroondah, Whitehorse and Manningham take bookings; Yarra Ranges collects once a year by area; Monash moves from a yearly run to bookings in 2027. None of them takes building rubble, soil, asbestos or chemicals.
Hard rubbish in each council
Find your council for its own rules, what it takes, and where the rest can go.
Hard rubbish collection by council
| Council | How it works | How many | Size limit | How to book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maroondah | Booked | 2 free a financial year, shared with prunings; up to 2 paid extras | 2 m³ each, or one 4 m³ double | Online, live chat or 1300 88 22 33, a week ahead |
| Knox | Booked | 2 a financial year | No volume limit published; items under 30 kg and 1.5 m | Online or 9298 8000, 1–2 weeks ahead |
| Whitehorse | Booked | 2 free a financial year; paid extras | 3 m³ each | Online or 9780 6120, by 5pm Wednesday |
| Manningham | Booked | 2 a calendar year, shared with bundled branches | 2 m³ each, or one 4 m³ | Online or Council, by 5pm Wednesday |
| Monash | Annual run by area in 2026; booked from 2027 | 1 in 2026 (finished); 2 a year from 2027; paid extras now | 4 m³ annual (2026); 2 m³ paid extra | Paid extra: online or 9518 3555 |
| Yarra Ranges | Scheduled, can’t be booked | 1 a year (late January to March), plus branches in November–December | 3 m³ each of hard waste, metals and branches | Not bookable: check your week by address |
From each council’s own hard rubbish pages, checked 2 October 2026. Each council’s guide below has the full rules, the lists and the sources.
What hard rubbish won’t take, anywhere in the east
Every council’s list differs in the detail, but none collects these.
Not collected
- Building, renovation and demolition waste
- Bricks, concrete, soil and rubble
- Asbestos
- Chemicals, liquids and paint
- Gas bottles and batteries
- Household rubbish and recycling
Where it goes instead
- Rubble, soil and renovation waste: a transfer station, or a skip
- Asbestos: never in a skip or hard rubbish. Don’t cut or break it; Asbestos in Victoria recommends a licensed removalist, and only a site authorised by EPA Victoria takes it
- Household chemicals: the state’s free Detox Your Home events
- Paint: Paintback drop-off sites, or a council centre that takes it
- Batteries: council drop-off points and transfer stations
Why every council is different
By our reading, hard rubbish isn’t a state-mandated service: each council decides whether to run one and how. The Victorian Auditor-General, reporting in 2021, found that in 2019–20 only 43 of Victoria’s 79 councils offered it.
Dumping is a separate matter: EPA Victoria says it’s illegal to dump, leave or bury any kind of waste anywhere not licensed to accept it, private land included. That’s why every council in the east asks you to book, or wait for your week, before anything goes on the nature strip.
When a skip makes more sense
Hard rubbish suits a few household items once or twice a year. A renovation, a deck or fence coming down, a big garden clean-up, or a clear-out you can’t wait months for is what a skip is for: a builders skip (no asbestos or fibro), a soil and concrete skip, a green waste skip or a general waste skip, delivered to your driveway when you’re ready.
Common questions
Is hard rubbish collection free?
There’s no separate fee for the standard collections. Extra collections differ: Monash charges $216.00 including GST in 2026–27 ($183.00 for pensioners), Maroondah and Whitehorse offer paid extras without publishing the fee, Knox and Manningham don’t publish one, and Yarra Ranges has none.
Can e-waste go out with hard rubbish?
Yes, in all six councils. E-waste can’t go in your household bins: Victoria made it illegal to put e-waste in household rubbish or landfill in 2019.
How early can I put hard rubbish out?
It depends on the council: the weekend before your collection in Knox, Maroondah and Whitehorse; no earlier than the Sunday before in Manningham; no more than two days before for a Monash paid collection; and by the Sunday evening before, but not more than a week early, in Yarra Ranges. Whitehorse warns that putting it out early risks a fine.
Where this information comes from
The rules on this page come from these published pages, checked on 2 October 2026.
- Victorian Auditor-General’s Office: Council Waste Management Services · State audit report, tabled 2 December 2021
- EPA Victoria: report illegal waste dumping · State regulator page, updated 8 September 2026
- Victorian Government: e-waste ban · State government page, updated 14 March 2024
- EPA Victoria: disposing of asbestos waste · State regulator guidance, list reviewed June 2026
- DEECA: Detox Your Home · State program page, updated 22 July 2026
- Paintback · Industry paint take-back scheme
More guides
Too much for hard rubbish?
Choose a size, tell us what’s going in it and where, and we can review your enquiry. A supplier and booking are not arranged by this form.
