Asbestos disposal in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie: two councils, two booking rules

Newcastle: Summerhill, booked ahead

The City of Newcastle says Summerhill is licensed to receive asbestos waste, and that you must phone 02 4974 2000 at least 24 hours before bringing it. Its asbestos fact sheet words the deadline differently, before 3.30pm on the last weekday before delivery, and the council gives both. Loads are received from 7.30am to 12 midday on the booked day.

The charge for 2026/27 is A$584 a tonne with an A$82 minimum, including GST, and the NSW waste levy is inside it. A Newcastle resident with a council bulk waste voucher can bring up to 100 kg at no charge.

Lake Macquarie: Awaba, also booked

Lake Macquarie City Council says asbestos can be taken to the Awaba Waste Management Facility on Wilton Road in Awaba, but it must be pre-booked. It says the facility accepts construction materials and that fees apply, and that asbestos and fibro sheets and planks are not accepted as part of its bulky waste collection.

The pages we read give no asbestos charge, opening hours for asbestos loads or booking number, so ask the council before you load.

What both share

The NSW waste regulation applies on the road whichever tip you choose. The vehicle must be covered and leak-proof, bonded asbestos must be securely packaged and friable asbestos must be in a sealed container. At the tip you must tell the landfill's occupier that the load contains asbestos.

Summerhill adds its own packing rules on top, including bundles no longer than 2 m, and refuses asbestos delivered in skip bins or on tilt trays.

Which rules are yours

The voucher and the charge are the City of Newcastle's, for its residents. Whether a Newcastle address may use Awaba, or a Lake Macquarie address Summerhill, is not stated on the pages we read, so the phone call before loading settles it. The costs page's checker lists each line with its source and read date.

What could change

Summerhill's fees run 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 and are reviewed each year. Both councils can change their pages at any time; check the current page before you rely on either.