Many local shopping centres will run extended hours in the lead up to Christmas Day, and be open on Boxing Day for trade.

Wollongong Central regional general manager Antony Keenan said Boxing Day was one of the busiest days of the year.

“The Boxing Day sales have major benefits for both our retailers and the city’s economy as a whole as potential sales are not lost to other regions such as Sydney,” Mr Keenan said.”

Wollongong Central will offer all day free parking on Boxing Day.

Wollongong Central:

David Jones Wollongong 

Stockland Shellharbour

Figtree Grove

Warrawong Plaza

Dapto Mall

Nowra Stockland

Coles:

Most Illawarra stores are open until 10pm on Christmas Eve (Wollongong and Thirroul stores close at 9pm). Closed on Christmas Day and reopen on Boxing Day.

Individual store opening hours here.

Woolworths: 

Most Illawarra stores are open until 10pm on Christmas Eve (Unanderra, Dapto and Albion Park close at 9pm). Closed on Christmas Day and reopen on Boxing Day.

Individual store opening hours here.

Aldi:

Most Illawarra stores are open until 7pm on Christmas Eve. Closed on Christmas Day and reopen on Boxing day at 9am.

Individual store opening hours here.

Garbage collection: 

Wollongong local government area – Garbage will not be collected on Christmas Day but additional pick-ups will be done throughout the week.

Shellharbour local government area –  Garbage collection as normal (including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day). There will also be three consecutive weeks of recycling collection.

Wollongong Waste and Resource Recovery Park (Whytes Gully): Closed Christmas Day. 

Dunmore Recycling and Waste Disposal Depot: Closed Christmas Day.

Wollongong council: offices and customer service centre closes at 1pm on December 22 and reopens on January 2.

Shellharbour council: Lamerton House and council administration closed from 4.30pm on December 22 and reopens on January 2

Beaton Park and Lakeside Leisure Centres: Closed December 25 and 26 and January 1. There will be reduced operating hours for all other days between December 19 – 31, returning to normal hours on January 2. Beaton Park Pool will be closed from December 18 to January 22 for maintenance works.

Public swimming pools: Closed on Christmas Day.

Wollongong Botanic Garden: Closed on Christmas Day.

Wollongong crematorium and cemeteries: Office closed on December 25, 26, 30 and January 1.

Wollongong council libraries: 

Wollongong Central Library will close from 5pm December 23 and reopen 9am-5pm Wednesday, December 27 until December 29, and 9.30am-1pm December 30. It will be closed on December 31 and resume normal hours from January 2.

Corrimal, Dapto, Thirroul and Warrawong libraries will close from 1pm December 23 and reopen 9.30am on January 2.

Helensburgh and Unanderra libraries will close from 1pm December 23 and reopen 10am on January 2.

More on library opening times here.

Shellharbour council libraries:

Warilla, Albion Park and Shellharbour Village libraries will close at noon on December 23 and reopen on January 2. Oak Flats Library is closed until  January 2.

All the photos from Wollongong’s Santa Claus Pub Crawl