Food Business

Opening a new food business

Before constructing or purchasing a food premises or food vehicle of any type, please contact the City’s Environmental Health Services for advice. Food premises and vehicles that are not constructed specifically for food handling may require extensive and expensive modifications. Please refer to A Guide to the Construction of Food Premises.

The construction, operation and maintenance standards of food premises and vehicles are specified in chapter 3 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Standards Australia has published AS 4674-2004 Design, Construction and Fit-out of Food Premises. This Standard provides guidance on design, construction and fit-out criteria for new food premises and for the renovation or alteration of existing food premises.

Before any application for registration is submitted to the City, please ensure that you have the necessary planning and building approvals. Approval must also be obtained from the City’s Environmental Health Services, even where planning approval or building permits are not required, before any new developments, alterations or extensions are undertaken.

The City's Environmental Health Services conduct risk assessments on all registered food businesses in relation to their food operations or activities.

Planning requirements

The premises you have chosen may require development approval in relation to the City’s Town Planning Scheme zoning, parking and other scheme requirements. If you are uncertain whether development approval is required, our Urban Planners are available to attend to general planning enquiries during business hours. Please call 9474 0777.

Building permit requirements

You may be required to submit an Application for a Building Permit for:

• Newly constructed premises where cool rooms, exhaust hood canopies and flumed pizza ovens are to be installed; or
• Where alterations may affect the structural integrity of the building.

Please login to mySouthPerth and complete 'Opening a new food business'.

Purchasing or taking over an existing food business

If you plan on taking over an existing food business, it is recommended that your settlement agent or conveyancer lodges a settlement request with the City's Environmental Health Services. A written report will be provided which advises of any outstanding work and/or fees which are applicable to the business. Where any changes to the physical premises or food vehicle are intended, please refer to opening a new food business above. 

When ready, please login to mySouthPerth and complete 'Purchasing or taking over an existing food business'.

Selling or closing a food business

If you are selling or closing your food business, you must notify the City. Please login to mySouthPerth and complete 'Selling or closing a food business'.

Changing food business details or food offering

If you are proposing to change your business' details (eg. change of contact information) or food offering (eg. a raw butchery wanting to also sell cooked meat pies), the proprietor must notify the City. Please login to mySouthPerth and complete 'Changing food business details or food offering'.

Seeking to operate a temporary food premises

Should you wish to sell food from a temporary food stall or vehicle at a single event, approval must be obtained from the City's Environmental Health Services. Login to  mySouthPerth and complete a 'Temporary food premises application'.

For guidance on requirements for food stalls and food labelling information for charity and community group fundraisers see guidelines for food stalls and food labelling information.

If you would like to sell food longer term from the City's foreshore or other City lands and parks, you may wish to lodge an expression of interest for temporary activation.