Temporary and mobile food premises

What are temporary or mobile food premises?

Temporary food premises are temporary stalls, tents or any other structure that is not permanently fixed to a site from which food is handled and sold. Common examples are stalls at markets or festivals.
Mobile food premises are vehicles such as vans, trailers or carts from which food is sold. Common examples are food trucks and ice-cream vans.

Private drinking water carts, food vending machines, sausage sizzles and cake stalls are also considered temporary or mobile food operators.

Community group fundraising events that involve selling food, such as food vans or stalls at fetes and fairs, must also meet regulations and comply with food safety laws. The Department of Health has more information, advice and assistance for community groups organising food fundraisers, including a video and tool to classify your event.

Footpath Trading Guidelines and Mobile Food Vendor guidelines are currently being developed and will be available soon.

Food business classes

The Food Act 1984 controls the sale of food in Victoria. All food businesses must ensure that the food they sell or prepare for sale is safe for human consumption. The main purpose of this legislation is to protect people from food-borne illness.

When you register your mobile or temporary food premises, Council classifies your operation into one of three classes as set out in the Food Act. Each class has food safety requirements based on the food safety risks of the highest risk food handling activity:

Class 2: food stalls that are handling unpackaged potentially hazardous foods that need correct temperature control during the food handling process.
Class 3: food vending machines that sell pre-packaged high risk foods, such as sandwiches, or unpackaged low risk food, such as tea and coffee.
Class 4: sausage sizzles (only for community group fundraising events) and cake stalls.

The Department of Health has a Food business classification tool to help you find out the correct classification for your food business. This tool outlines a wide range of food business activities and applies a classification according to the food safety risk of each activity.

If you change the type of food that you handle, this may alter the class of your food business.

See Food business classes for more information.

How to register your temporary or mobile food premise

A statewide registration and notification scheme for temporary and mobile food premises applies under the Food Act 1984.

To legally operate a temporary or mobile food premises in Victoria you must:

Register your temporary or mobile food premises with your principal Council in order to operate anywhere in Victoria, and
Lodge a statement of trade each time you operate to let all relevant Councils know where and when you will be trading in their area.

The Department of Health has more information about temporary and mobile food premises, including how your principal Council is determined and statement of trade templates.

Apply through Streatrader

Council recommends that you use the Department of Health Streatrader website to register your temporary or mobile food business.

Streatrader identifies your principal Council, classifies your food premises and advises whether you need to register with Council (class 2 and 3) or notify Council (class 4).

Once you have completed your application online with Streatrader and it is approved by Council, you can then lodge your statement of trade to let the relevant Councils in Victoria know when and where you will be operating. There is no fee to lodge a statement of trade.

After lodging your application using Streatrader, Council will send you an invoice (not required for notifications). Pay this one-off service fee online, or mail to Moreland City Council, Locked Bag 10, Merri-bek, VIC 3058, or pay in person at Merri-bek Civic Centre, 90 Bell Street, Coburg.

Note that this fee can not be paid through Streatrader.

If you need help using Streatrader, contact Council or the Department of Health on 1300 085 767.

Road Side Trading Permit

If wish to operate your mobile or temporary food premises on the side of the road you also need to obtain a Road Side Trading Permit. You can only apply for this permit once you have registered your business.

Council has selected locations for road side trading. These sites have already been assessed and approved for road side trading. To trade at other sites, you will need to seek approval from Council.

Fees for 2020-21

$2,500.00 per van (non-refundable annual permit)

$250.00 single use permit

Once payment is received, Council will assess your application and let you know if your registration has been granted, granted with conditions or refused.

Pay online

Pay your Road Side Trading Permit fee through Council Online Services.

You can register as a user and sign in to Council Online Services before you apply. As a registered user, you don't need to re-enter your personal information and can keep track of requests and applications on any device.

Pay your Road Side Trading Permit fee

Apply by post or in person

Complete the Trading from a Road Side Permit application form (PDF) (PDF 612Kb)
Submit the application form, associated information and relevant fee to Council by mail to Moreland City Council, Locked Bag 10, Merri-bek, VIC 3058, or in person at Merri-bek Civic Centre, 90 Bell Street, Coburg.

Council will assess your application and let you know if your registration has been granted, granted with conditions or refused.