Clean-up works following the recent severe storms are still underway. Due to the extent of the damage, recovery will take several months. Please exercise caution when visiting impacted areas. Thank you for your patience as crews work hard to restore these areas.
Council's customer service centres will be closed from 12:00 PM on Wednesday, 24 December, reopening on Monday, 5 January 2026 at 8:30 AM.
You will need:
Instructions:
The Queensland SES has developed videos with helpful advice about filling and laying sandbags.
Filling, moving and placing sandbags can be physically demanding work. Take precautions before starting:
Lay down a layer of plastic sheeting to act as a water proofing membrane and place sandbags on top.
Offset the rows with a staggered placement of bags like brickwork.
Lay sandbags as flat as possible and compress rows to fill in gaps.
Sandbags should be stored in a dry location out of the sun.
Stocks of sandbags can rot if left wet or damp.
Check the bag for damage before using stored sandbags.
Council now uses polypropylene (poly) sandbags. These poly sandbags are more durable.
Due to recent weather events sandbags are in short supply and it is strongly recommended they be reused where possible.
Store used poly sandbags away from sunlight. They should last at least 12 months.
If you empty them of sand, the bag should remain usable for at least 24 months. You can store the used sand in an old plastic garbage bin and reuse the sand too. If not stored, the sand can be scattered on lawns and gardens as topsoil however the sand should not be used for any other purpose. Do not allow sand to wash into stormwater drains.
You can reuse sandbags exposed to floodwater (oil and other contaminants) provided they are washed and the sand removed. If you are using hessian sandbags, they cannot be reused and must be disposed.
Dispose of these at one of Council's major waste facilities:
Remember, do not place full sandbags in your waste bins.