Food vendors

The Town adopted a policy for mobile food vendors at the August 2019 Ordinary Council Meeting. Food vendors will only be permitted to trade on Council land in conjunction with an approved event and itinerant vendors will not be permitted. The policy formalises the Town’s current practices/approval requirements which have always permitted the trading of mobile food vendors, subject to certain restrictions. Please read the media release here. A copy of the policy can be downloaded below.

To apply for a permit, please complete the online form using the heading link above. An application fee applies for either a single or annual permit, unless the organisation is a charity, community or fundraising group or your food business is registered within the Town of Victoria Park.

Food business must ensure their food handling staff have the adequate skills and knowledge to undertake work in a safe environment to prevent food poisoning outbreaks. This is a requirement under the Food Safety Standard 3.2.2.

This includes knowledge on:

• correct hand washing and drying practices
• cross-contamination of raw and cooked or ready-to-eat foods
• temperature control and correct use of probe thermometers
• correct storage of all food products including potentially hazardous foods
• the difference between cleaning and sanitising food contact surfaces

Please refer to FSANZ Infobites for more information.

It is highly recommended that all food handlers complete the free online FoodSafe training - see heading link above for further details. 

Under the Food Act 2008, a food business is defined as: ‘a business, enterprise or activity that involves the handling of food for sale or the sale of food, regardless of whether, subject to section 6, the business, enterprise or activity concerned is of a commercial, charitable or community nature or whether it involves the handling or sale of food on one occasion only’. Therefore people who prepare food for sale as part of a community or charity group, are deemed to be food businesses for the purposes of the Act and compliance is required with the Food Safety Standards. 

Fundraising organisations will not be required to have a Food Act registration where:

• any food handled in the course of conducting the food business is not potentially hazardous food (e.g. does not require temperature control); or
• after being appropriately cooked, is provided by the food business for immediate consumption (e.g. sausage sizzle).

For any foods outside these exemptions please contact your local government to enquire about registration.

Fundraising activities can include preparation of foods at home however there are some restrictions. High risk foods like meat, eggs, dairy product and salads are not permitted to be prepared at home. Should you wish to produce potentially hazardous foods for sale, you will need to do so in an approved kitchen.

Low risk foods can be prepared at home. These are generally dry products, products with a high pH, high sugar content or very low water activity. These sorts of foods limit microbial growth so the risk of food borne illness is low. Examples are:

• Jams and marmalades
• Flour based products such as biscuits, shortbread, scones, buns, muffins and cakes (which do not contain potentially hazardous foods such as custard or cream)
• Nougats, fudges, meringues, Turkish delight
• Dry curry powder and spice mixes (if ingredients are purchased from an approved food business)
• Pickled onions
• Herb vinegars with a pH of less than 4.5
• Chutneys, relishes and sauces that are heat treated by boiling or cooking
• Cake decorating

It is highly recommended that volunteers complete the free online FoodSafe training - see heading link above for further details. 

If you are a food stall or food vehicle and you already have an annual permit from the Town of Victoria Park that doesn’t expire for a while, you can still use it.

Your current annual permit is still valid until the date specified on your permit. It is valid for trading at the Town of Victoria Park approved organised events only, subject to a notification of your intention to trade sent to the Town in writing, event organiser permission, maintenance of your Public Liability Insurance and Registration as a Food Business with your primary local government authority (where you garage your vehicle or premises you handle food/store equipment).

However the new simplified trading partnership between the Town of Victoria Park, City of Canning and City of Gosnells launching on 5 October 2020 can make it easier for your food businesses to trade at events within these three adjoining local governments. Your current permit held with the Town of Victoria Park will be valid at Town of Victoria Park events as mentioned above however, upon the launch of this new initiative your food business information and supporting documents (insurance and food act registration) can be shared between these three local governments participating in the initiative:

If you already hold a valid annual permit with the Town but would like to take part in the Simplified Trading Partnership you can notify HERE.

Once you have notified the Town and the Town has upgraded your permit to include the simplified trading partnership sharing agreement, you will then only need to simply notify for future events to each local government of your intention to trade via the short notification process on each of their websites.

After receiving your initial Simplified Trading Partnership Permit simply notify the subsequent local governments (Victoria Park, Gosnells and Canning) online if you plan to trade at an approved event within their boundaries. After notifying them, you will receive your subsequent permit(s) free of charge for the specified period.

If you already hold a STPP and are looking to trade in a subsequent event you can notify for the Town of Victoria Park using the form below, and at the City of Canning and City of Gosnells websites.

The fee has currently been waived for the simplified trading permit for the 2020-2021 financial year due to the impacts of COVID-19, so no additional payments are required for this service. Simplified Trading Permits will be issued for this financial year, expiring 30 June 2021.

The Simplified Trading Permit will not impact the expiration date or validity of your current mobile trading permit with the Town of Victoria Park, but is just an additional service/option available. Alternatively you can apply to each local government in full as per each's usual application process.

Who is the Simplified Trading Partnership permit for?
The Simplified Trading Partnership permit is for all registered food businesses wanting to trade at approved events in any of the participating local government areas.

What do I need to apply for the Simplified Trading Partnership permit?
You will need:

• current public liability insurance with at least $10,000,000 in cover (insurance coverage that lapses over the specified period will make the permit null/void)
• evidence of Food Act registration for your food business.

How much does the Simplified Trading Partnership permit cost?
The Simplified Trading Partnership is free between 1 October 2020 – 30 June 2021, in recognition of the impact of COVID-19 on the business community.
An annual fee will be required to be paid at the first event you apply for after 30 June 2021, for the duration of the
2021-2022 financial year.

How do I apply for the Simplified Trading Partnership permit?
You can make an initial application online at any participating local government – ideally the local government that is hosting the first event you intend to trade at. You will need to apply for the permit at least two weeks prior to trading at your first event.

I own a bricks and mortar food business (eg. restaurant, café, etc), can I get the Simplified Trading Partnership permit?
Yes. Please ensure that you indicate on your initial application that you are an existing bricks and mortar food business as there may be additional information required for your application.

How does the permit work?
After receiving your initial permit, simply notify the subsequent local governments online that you plan to trade at an approved event within their boundaries. After notifying them, you will receive your subsequent permit(s) free of charge for the specified period.

Do I need to notify the local government for each event I intend to trade at?
Yes, you will need to notify the local government before every event you want to trade at in their area.

If I get the Simplified Trading Partnership permit, does this mean I can trade anywhere in the participating local government area?
No. This permit is only for trading at approved events, upon invitation of the event organiser.

1. Complete the online application form. Please ensure as much detail is given and all documents are uploaded to avoid delays with assessing your application.
2. The form will be allocated to an Environmental Health Officer (EHO). They will check:
   • the Event Organiser has given you permission to trade at the event.
   • the activities and foods to be sold match the Food Act registration approval by your local government. For example if you operate a restaurant you must also notify and obtain approval from your local government to trade as a temporary premises.
   • food safety requirements have been met, such as cold storage. If the event is a long duration or is in summer, coolers with ice bricks may not be acceptable so you should plan for an alternative such as electric cooler or mobile cool room depending on your needs.
   • your Certificate of Currency shows public liability insurance of minimum $10 million and it shows the expiry date.
3. If an application is approved, the EHO will send it to the Administration Officer. They will call you for payment over the phone (preferred method). A permit will not be issued unless payment is received.
4. You will be issued a receipt and permit by email.

• Food vendors must have their permit available when trading at approved events within the Town of Victoria Park.
• The permit holder must have permission to trade at the event by the event organiser
• The Town’s EHO’s may inspect the temporary food business at any time during any event without prior notification to determine compliance. Where there is non-compliance, EHO’s may issue infringements, improvement notices or if a serious risk will close down the operation until such time as the temporary premises complies. The registering local government may be informed of any non-compliances.
• The annual permit will remain valid up until 30 June each year. An email to renew the permit will be sent out by the Administration Officer. Food vendors must then reapply online and submit all required documentation to ensure records are current.
• If you wish to prepare food before the event, you must use an approved commercial kitchen that is registered to your business under the Food Act 2008. Proof of booking is required.
• Should there be changes to the activities or foods provided after a permit is issued, you must notify the Town. Failure to do so may result in the EHO’s directing closure of the temporary premises on the event day.