Food Premises

Overview

If you are starting a new business you must contact the Gannawarra Shire Council to ensure you comply with the Food Act 1984 requirements.

The Food Act 1984 requires that all businesses that handle, prepare, package, store, serve, supply and repackage food must be registered with their local council.

Go to our Forms page to register a Food Premises.

For the latest information regarding fees and charges, please view the current financial year Fees and Charges schedule, which you can do by clicking here.

Food Premises Classification

Under the Food Act, all food premises (new and existing) belong to one of four classes.

Class

Description

Requirement

Class 1 Premises

Hospitals, child care centres and aged care services that serve high-risk food.

Department of Health – Class 1 business information

Class 2 Premises

All other sites that handle high-risk unpackaged food.

Department of Health – Class 2 business information

Class 3 Premises

These sites handle:

  • unpackaged low-risk food
  • high-risk pre-packaged food
  • warehouses and distributors

Department of Health – Class 3 business information

Class 4 Premises

This includes sites that only do the following:

  • sale of shelf stable pre-packaged low risk (confectionery, frozen ice cream, milk)
  • sale of packaged alcohol
  • sale of uncut fruit and vegetables
  • wine tasting
  • sale of packaged cakes (excluding cream)
  • supply of low risk food at a kindergarten session
  • a sausage sizzle where sausages are cooked and served immediately (sausages, onion, bread and sauce)

Department of Health – Class 4 business information

New Businesses Selling Food

Anyone interested in setting up a new food business or considering altering an existing premises should contact the Environmental Health team prior to starting work. Plans of the proposed set up of the premises need to be submitted for approval.

Purchasing an Existing Food Premises

Council's Environmental Health Officers routinely perform inspections of food premises to ensure food safety standards are followed and public health is protected.

Prior to purchasing an existing food business, it is wise to have the premises checked by an Environmental Health Officer.  To arrange an inspection, please complete the following request for an inspection form.

Please note that written consent from the existing proprietor of premises is required prior to an inspection report from an Environmental Health Officer being released to the purchaser.

To transfer the registration, complete the relevant form based on your classification and submit this form and the relevant fee to the Health Services Unit.  This form must be completed by both the new and existing proprietors.

Temporary and Mobile Food Premises (including Private Drinking Water Carters)

If trading from a temporary structure (ie. food stall, marquee, cart etc) or from a mobile food/beverage vehicles you need to apply on the Streatrader website.

Temporary premises also include the temporary use of a kitchen not owned or leased by the food business.  For example, if you are cooking cakes out of a hired kitchen to sell later, you need to register your use of this kitchen as a temporary food premises.

Trading on council property or public land like a roadside or footpath may also require a Roadside Trading Permit. Go to our Business Permits page for more information.