Business permits
Planning
You may need a planning permit if you're considering:
- working from home
- moving your business from home into another area
- undertaking buildings and works
- erecting business signage.
Building
You must have a building permit before any building work can begin. You may also need a planning permit for the proposed works (even where a building permit may not be required).
Food, beauty, accommodation premises
You'll need to be registered under either the Food Act 1984 or Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 if you're planning on operating one of these businesses:
- food
- hairdressing
- beauty treatment
- electrolysis
- ear and body piercing
- colonic irrigation
- tattooing
- prescribed accommodation.
Accommodation permits
Prescribed accommodation including bed and breakfasts, residential accommodation, hotels, motels, and hostels where five or more residents are capable of being catered for must be registered with us under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
Specific requirements relating to the prescribed accommodation premises are set out in the Health (Prescribed Accommodation) Regulations 2001.
Inspections by our Environmental Health Officers aim to address issues relating to:
- Overcrowding
- Maintenance and cleanliness
- Number of fixtures (such as showers, toilets, hand wash basins, etc) per person accommodated
- Water supply
- Refuse collection and disposal.
Installation of moveable dwelling or rigid annex in a caravan park application
Registration of a prescribed accommodation premises application
Health and beauty permits
All current and new health establishments operating within the Shire are required to be registered with us on an annual basis. All new businesses must ensure they are registered prior to the commencement of operation of the business.
It is the proprietor's responsibility to ensure the premises are registered with Council annually.
Under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, health businesses that conduct the following activities must register with us:
Beauty therapy | Any procedure intended to maintain, alter or enhance a person's appearance by, facial or body treatments, application of cosmetics, manicures or pedicures, application or mending of artificial nail and epilation including by electrolysis or hot or cold wax. |
Hairdressing | Any procedure intended to maintain, alter or enhance a person's appearance in relation to facial or scalp hair by trimming, styling, cutting, and colouring, treating or shaving hair. |
Skin penetration | Any procedure performed on a person other than a surgical or medical procedure that involves, piercing, cutting, scarring, branding, scraping, puncturing or tearing of the skin using an instrument. |
Tattooing | Any process that involves the penetration of a person's skin to make a permanent or semi-permanent mark, pattern or design on the skin. |
Colonic irrigation | A procedure involving the cleansing of a person's colon. |
Eligible businesses – those that solely provide hairdressing and/or low risk beauty therapy services at their premises – are now able to apply for ongoing registration.
If you would like more information, require your premises to be registered or your registration needs to be renewed contact our Environmental Health Officer.
Details should be updated with us when the address, proprietor or business name changes.
Our Environmental Health Officers have powers under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 to inspect any premises.
All new businesses must register with us before beginning operation. This process involves submitting plans and specifications, completing a registration application form, and undergoing a final inspection before the new business can begin operating.
Beauty/Hairdressing/Body Art/Therapies Registration Application
FoodTrader
In Victoria, all food premises are required to have a Food Act registration before selling food. This includes fixed premises, such as cafes and restaurants – but also temporary and mobile food premises, water carters and vending machines. FoodTrader is the online registration database for businesses and community groups to register and notify their temporary or mobile food premises, vending machine or water carting business. FoodTrader allows business and community groups to:
- Apply for a Food Act registration with their registering council,
- manage their registration, and
- lodge statements of trade for each of their events.
Local laws
You may need a local laws permit if you'd like to have any of the following things on a footpath, road or public place:
- advertising signs
- goods for sale
- outdoor dining
- itinerant trade (mobile food van).
You may also need a local laws permit if you're:
- planting
- landscaping
- planning to store materials, waste or skips
- planning to have container storage on a property.
Works on roadside or public places
You may need a permit if you're carrying out works including construction and excavation on a road, road reserve or public place.
Apply for a works within a road reserve permit
If you need to apply for a permit for higher mass limit vehicles, please visit the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator website.
Domestic animal business
If your business involves domestic animals (such as pet shop, breeding, boarding, a shelter or greyhounds) you'll need to register your business with Council.
Liquor licence
If you're selling or serving alcohol as part of your business, you'll need a liquor licence.
For more information, please visit the Victorian Commission for Racing, Gaming and Liquor website.
Stormwater legal point of discharge
If you need information about drainage on your property, you should fill in the Stormwater Legal Point of Discharge Application Form.
The resulting Legal Point of Discharge Report will show you where stormwater from a property must be discharged.