Every year, we reduce our hours over the Christmas and New Year period. Of course, many of our essential community services workers still work to keep our city running over the holidays.
Check out our full list of opening hours below.
Hamilton City Council services
Municipal Building Customer Services
Closes at 3pm Tuesday 24 December 2024 and re-opens at 7.45am Monday 6 January 2025.
Call centre
For any urgent issues, our call center will continue to operate 24/7, call 07 838 6699.
Any non-urgent enquiries can be sent to info@hcc.govt.nz or by using the Antenno app, however the response time may be delayed.
Rubbish and recycling
Rubbish and recycling collection days look different this year, with half of the week’s collections being one day later.
If your usual kerbside collection day is Monday or Tuesday, there are no changes. If you usually put your bins out on a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, put them out one day later by 7am.
If your normal collection day is:
- Wednesday, put your bins out on Thursday.
- Thursday, put your bins out on Friday.
- Friday, put your bins out on Saturday.
These changes begin on Wednesday 25 December, with normal collections resuming on Monday 6 January 2025.
Lincoln Street Resource Recovery Centre
Wednesday 25 December: closed
Thursday 26 December: open 9am – 4pm
Wednesday 1 January: closed
Thursday 2 January: open 9am – 4pm
Hamilton Organic Centre – Wickham Street
Wednesday 25 December: closed
Wednesday 1 January: closed
Lincoln Street Habitat for Humanity ReUse Store
Wednesday 25 December: closed
Thursday 26 December: open 9am – 4pm
Wednesday 1 January: closed
Thursday 2 January: open 9am – 4pm
Property File requests
After Monday 16 December property files may not be completed before Friday 20 December.
Land Information Memorandum (LIM) reports
After Tuesday 10 December LIM applications may not be completed before Tuesday 24 December 2024.
Between Friday 13 December 2024 and Monday 13 January 2025 express applications will not be processed.
From 3pm Friday 20 December to 7.45am Monday 13 January 2025 ,Council will be closed. Standard LIM applications received during the holiday period will be started on Monday 13 January 2025.
Building consenting
The statutory clock will stop from Friday 20 December and will restart on Saturday 11 January. The last day for urgent code of compliance certificates is Wednesday 18 December. Throughout the holiday closure (24 December – 3 January 2025), we’ll have two inspectors working through as normal on non-stat days. One inspector will be on call for emergency only on stat days.
Planning Guidance – resource consents and monitoring
Closed from 3pm Tuesday 24 December and re-opens Monday 6 January 2025. During this closedown period, no processing of applications will happen, and processing timeframes are also stopped.
Animal Education and Control
Closed from 3pm on Tuesday 24 December and re-opens Friday 27 December 2024. Closed from 3pm on Tuesday 31 December and re-opens Friday 3 January.
Animal Education and Control Officers are on duty throughout. On 25 December (Christmas Day), the on-duty officer will respond to urgent matters and public safety issues only. Call 07 838 6632 if you have any concerns.
Visitor Destinations
Hamilton Gardens (enclosed gardens)
Closed on Wednesday 25 December. Reopens with normal hours from Thursday 26 December 2024.
Hamilton Zoo
Closed from 4.30pm Tuesday 24 December (last admission at 3.30pm) and reopens with regular hours on Thursday 26 December.
Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum and Gallery
Closed on Wednesday 25 December. Reopens with normal hours from Thursday 26 December 2024.
Libraries
Hillcrest, Glenview, and St Andrews Libraries will be closed between Wednesday 25 December – Thursday 2 January 2025.
Level 3 of Central Library will be closed from Friday 27 December – Tuesday 31 December. During this time, reference and archive materials will be available upon request.
All libraries will close early at 3pm Tuesday 24 December.
All libraries will be closed Wednesday 25 December and Thursday 26 December.
Central, Chartwell, Dinsdale and Te Kete Aronui Rototuna Library will be open 9.30am – 5.30pm on Friday 27 December.
Central, Chartwell and Te Kete Aronui Rototuna Library will be open 9.30am – 5pm on Saturday 28 December.
Dinsdale Library will be open 9.30am – 1pm on Saturday 28 December.
Central, Chartwell and Te Kete Aronui Library will be open 9.30am – 5pm on Sunday 29 December.
Central, Chartwell, Dinsdale and Te Kete Aronui Library will be open 9.30am – 5.30pm on Monday 30 December.
Central, Chartwell, Dinsdale and Te Kete Aronui Library will be open 9.30am – 3pm on Tuesday 31 December.
All libraries will be closed Wednesday 1 January and Thursday 2 January 2025.
Normal library hours will resume on Friday 3 January 2025.
Pools
Waterworld and Gallagher Aquatic Centre will be closing early at 3pm on Tuesday 24 December.
Wednesday 25 December: Waterworld and Gallagher Aquatic Centre closed.
Thursday 26 December: reduced hours at Waterworld and Gallagher Aquatic Centre, open from 10am – 6pm.
Friday 27 December – Monday 30 December: normal hours at Waterworld and Gallagher
Tuesday 31 December: reduced hours at Waterworld Open from 5.30am – 3pm and Gallagher Aquatic Centre 6am – 3pm.
Wednesday 1 January: reduced hours at Waterworld and Gallagher Aquatic Centre, open from 10am – 6pm.
Learn to Swim lessons end on Sunday 22 December and will begin again on Monday 20 January 2025.
No group fitness classes from Monday 23 December – Friday 3 January 2025.
Reduced group fitness class schedule from Monday 16 December – Friday 20 December and Monday 6 January – Friday 10 January 2025.