Geelong has two kinds of gate. The privately owned Geelong Transfer Station, operating since 2016, publishes per-load prices from January 2026: a car boot from $40, a ute or single-axle trailer from $80 (water line) or $125 (heaped), a van from $100, a tandem trailer from $100 (water line) to $210 (heaped) and up to $420 caged and heaped; mattresses are $40 and car tyres $15. The City of Greater Geelong's Drysdale Resource Recovery Centre changed its fees on 1 July 2026 and publishes the 2026-27 schedule in the documents section of its page, with a $110 per cubic metre charge where a load does not match its declared type.
Geelong Transfer Station (private) price list, January 2026
| Load | Price per load |
|---|---|
| Car boot | from $40 |
| Ute or single-axle trailer, water line | from $80 |
| Ute or single-axle trailer, heaped | from $125 |
| Single-axle trailer, caged | from $150 |
| Single-axle trailer, caged and heaped | from $210 |
| Van | from $100 |
| Tandem trailer, water line | from $100 |
| Tandem trailer, heaped | from $210 |
| Tandem trailer, caged | from $310 |
| Tandem trailer, caged and heaped | from $420 |
| Car tyre (up to 1 m) / on rim | $15 / $20 each |
| Truck tyre | $40 each |
| Mattress (any size) | $40 each |
The operator discounts loads that are only green waste, timber or concrete, and quotes builders' and heavy waste separately. Contact: 03 5214 2711.
City of Greater Geelong facilities
The council runs the Drysdale Resource Recovery Centre and landfill and directs some materials to Recycle North Geelong at 116 Furner Avenue. Drysdale's fees changed on 1 July 2026; the 2026-27 schedule is published as a document on the council's Drysdale RRC page rather than inline, all fees are GST inclusive, and where the load type varies from what was declared a charge of $110 per cubic metre applies. Check the current document before a commercial run, because council rates in Victoria moved this year with the levy increase to $177.19 per tonne.
How a Melbourne tip fee is built
Every general-waste gate fee in metropolitan Melbourne has three layers. The Victorian landfill levy is $177.19 per tonne from 1 July 2026 (EPA Victoria), up from $169.79 the year before. GST is added on top of the whole fee. The rest is the operator's cost of handling, transport to landfill and margin. Recyclable streams (cardboard, scrap metal, e-waste, batteries) carry no levy, which is why they are free or cheap at almost every gate.
When a business should stop tipping and get a bin
Tip runs make sense for one-off clean-outs. They stop making sense once someone is driving to the gate every week. In Geelong a 1100L general-waste bin collected weekly costs $125–225 a month on Bundle Waste's 2026 benchmarks: about 4.4 m³ of waste a month, collected from your door, with the levy already inside the price. Against gate fees plus fuel and an hour of someone's time each trip, the bin wins well before the first month is out. A free waste audit prices the exact bin size and frequency for your volumes.
Ways to pay less at the gate
- Sort before you go. Cardboard, scrap metal, e-waste and batteries are free at most metro facilities. Hidden recyclables inside a mixed load are charged at the general rate.
- Know the minimum charge. Small loads are billed at the minimum regardless of weight; combining two half-loads into one trip usually saves the second minimum.
- Weight beats volume for dense waste. Where a weighbridge is offered, soil, concrete and timber are usually cheaper by the tonne than by trailer size.
- Green waste separately. Green waste is typically 40–60% cheaper than general waste at the same gate.
Sources
- Geelong Transfer Station, Pricing (effective January 2026)
- City of Greater Geelong, Drysdale Resource Recovery Centre
- EPA Victoria, Waste levy rates 2026-27
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Geelong Transfer Station charge for a car boot?
How much is a mattress at the Geelong tip?
Where are the City of Greater Geelong tip fees for 2026-27?
Are green waste or concrete loads cheaper in Geelong?
What does a commercial bin cost in Geelong compared with tipping?
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