Council hard rubbish collections in Whittlesea, Hume and Merri-bek
Each council runs its hard rubbish differently. Here's how much you can put out, how to book, and what gets left behind.
Checked 3 November 2026. Council fees and rules change, so check the source before you go.
City of Whittlesea
Whittlesea gives each household two free collections a financial year, from 1 July to 30 June. Book through the council's Customer Portal or call 03 9217 2170. Units and townhouses have to call. The council says to allow up to four weeks.
- Up to 3 cubic metres a collection (3 m long, 1 m wide, 1 m high). Bigger piles aren't collected.
- Every item has to be liftable by two people. Mattresses and bases don't count toward the height and length limit.
- Put it out no earlier than the night before your booked day.
- Not collected: e-waste (anything with a plug, cord or battery), garden waste, cardboard, bagged items, building materials, carpet, tyres, fence palings, concrete and soil, chemicals, and undismantled trampolines.
Hume
Hume uses vouchers. Every household gets 10 cubic metres a year, from 1 July to 30 June, in vouchers of 2 cubic metres each. You can use up to two vouchers (4 cubic metres) in one booking. Book online at hardrubbishmelbourne.com.au/hume or call 9205 2200, option 3. Renters can use the vouchers too.
- Put it out the weekend before your collection week, by 6am Monday, within 2 m of your boundary and no higher than 1 m.
- Collected: furniture, mattresses, whitegoods (fridge doors off), e-waste (batteries out), tyres off the rim, scrap metal, rolled carpet.
- Not collected: anything over 30 kg or 1.5 m long (appliances aside), building materials, garden waste, batteries, clothes, pallets, water tanks and anything hazardous, including asbestos.
- The same 10 cubic metres also covers bundled branch collections and drop-offs at Hume's tips, so it can run out.
Merri-bek
Merri-bek gives you either two collections of up to 1 cubic metre each or one of up to 2 cubic metres a financial year. Book with the council's contractor on 9721 1915 or online at hardrubbishmelbourne.com.au/merri-bek. Bookings are usually 2 to 4 weeks away.
- Put it out from the weekend before, by 6am Monday of your collection week.
- One mattress and one base per household. Each item under 1.5 m and liftable by two people.
- If you put out more than you booked, the council takes up to 2 cubic metres and that's your allowance gone for the year. Anything over 2 cubic metres is left behind.
- Extra paid collections: $100 for 1 cubic metre or $200 for 2, booked through Council eServices.
- Rubbish on the nature strip without a booking is illegal, and the council says fines go up to $9,000.
When a council collection doesn't fit
If you can wait a few weeks and your pile fits the rules, the council collection is the cheapest way. It doesn't suit a pile that's too big, anything the council won't take, a move-out date that won't wait, or things that are still inside the house. That's the work we do. See hard rubbish removal.
Sources
Rather we just take it?
Call or text 0475 884 061, request a pickup time, or answer four quick questions here and we'll call or text you back with a quote.
Every job is quoted before we load anything.