Permits
Do you need a council permit for a skip bin?
It comes down to one question: whose land is the bin sitting on. If it is yours, no. If it is the council's, almost certainly.
Whose land is it on?
That is the whole test. Councils are not interested in the bin, they are interested in whether something is being placed on land they are responsible for. Get the bin onto your own property and the question does not come up.
Your land, your call
- Your driveway
- Your lawn, garden or hardstand
- A building site you are working on
- Private property you have the owner's permission to use
Council land, council's call
- The road, including the parking lane outside your house
- The footpath
- The nature strip or verge
- A laneway, a car park or any other council land
Which council you are dealing with
The Hunter is not one council, it is seven across the towns we cover, and they do not all handle this the same way. What they ask for, what it costs and how long it takes are each council's own business, so we are not going to guess on their behalf. Find yours below and check their page before you book.
City of Newcastle
Newcastle and its suburbs
Maitland City Council
Maitland and surrounds
Port Stephens Council
Raymond Terrace, Nelson Bay, Medowie
Cessnock City Council
Cessnock, Kurri Kurri
Lake Macquarie City Council
Charlestown, Warners Bay, Morisset
Singleton Council
Singleton and surrounds
Muswellbrook Shire Council
Muswellbrook and surrounds
The easy way round it
A bin on your own driveway needs no approval from anybody. If there is any way to fit it on your property, that is the shorter path, and a smaller bin placed well often beats a bigger bin that has to go on the road.
What to sort out before the bin arrives
Where approval is needed, it is your application rather than ours, because the permit is tied to the address and the person responsible for the site. Councils generally want to know where the bin will sit, how long it will be there and who to contact, and some ask for the bin to be marked or lit at night. Allow time: this is not usually a same-day process, so start it before you settle on a delivery day.
Tell us when you enquire if the bin has to go on the street. It changes where we place it, how we place it, and sometimes which size makes sense, and it is much easier to plan for than to discover on the day.
Not sure if you need one?
Tell us where the bin would have to sit and we will tell you whether it is a driveway job or a council job before you commit to anything.