Register your mobile and temporary food business
Support for business
Get expert advice and support tailored to your business from our Health Services Unit.
Email: healthservicesunit@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Phone: 03 9209 6292
What is it?
If you have a mobile food business, such as a food van, which is garaged in the City of Port Phillip, you need to register it to operate.
You can register your business with City of Port Phillip using the website Streatrader. This is a state-wide registration site for temporary and mobile food businesses.
Through Streatrader you can:
- apply for registration with City of Port Phillip
- manage your renewal of registration each year
- list when and where you will trade (called a Statement of trade or ‘SOT’).
If you want to sell food from Council land in the City of Port Phillip, you must apply for permission.
For more information visit:
Who’s it for?
Streatrader can help you check if you need to register your mobile and temporary food business.
If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you’ll need to register your business.
Question: Do you sell food from a portable stall, a van, a community hall or other similar site that you only use occasionally, or from a vending machine?
Question: Do you handle food at one of these places to sell it somewhere else? This includes making, manufacturing, storing, cooking or serving food that you intend to sell.
Question: Are you a private water carter who transports for sale water for human consumption? This includes using the water to prepare food or make ice for human consumption or to preserve unpackaged food.
You can apply to Council through Streatrader for permission to run these activities.
If you answer ‘no’ to any of these questions, you don’t need to register your business.
If you are not handling or selling food or drink as defined above, then you do not need to use Streatrader.
Fees
Type of fee | Cost |
Application fee | $259 |
Registration/ notification fee | Varies from $0 to $918 p.a. Class 4 notifications do not attract a registration fee. |
View the full list of fees:
Before you apply
To help you get started and grow your mobile food vehicle business, we have created the Mobile Food Vehicle Guidelines (PDF 330 KB).
Food business classification
Before your start an application to register your business, you’ll need to know your food business class. Classes relate to the level of food safety risk.
There are different requirements for different classes.
The classes are:
Class | Description |
1 | Other premises that handle high-risk unpackaged food such as restaurants, cafes, and takeaway food outlets. |
2 | Premises, warehouses, and distributors that handle unpackaged low-risk food or high-risk pre-packaged food. |
3 | Low-risk activities. Selling shelf-stable pre-packaged foods such as coffee, tea, alcohol and soft drinks, uncut fruit, and vegetables, and some fundraising activities. Low-risk foods served in kindergartens or childcare. |
When you apply
You need to submit a plan for your vehicle or temporary stall.
It must show the:
- types of equipment you'll use
- equipment location.
Equipment you may use includes:
- handwashing facilities
- cooking equipment
- sinks
- storage areas
- and more.
A mobile food vehicle must be inspected by an EHO before registration is granted.
You’ll need to submit your application through Streatrader and an Environmental Health Officer will contact you.
An application fee of $259 applies and registration/ notification fees vary from zero to $198 per annum.
After you apply
If your application is approved, the City of Port Phillip will issue a certificate of registration for your business.
You’ll be able to download this certificate through Streatrader. Streatrader has information on how to do this on their website.
Permission to operate
Once your Mobile or Temporary Food Business is registered, you’ll also need to apply for permission to operate your business in City of Port Phillip.
You can apply for permission by completing the Application for Mobile Food Vehicle (PDF 454 KB) or online in My Port Phillip.
Permanent foreshore trading
There are a limited number of permanent foreshore trading sites offered for fixed-term licences.
Any sites that become available will be offered to the market by a Public Expressions of Interest process, and advertised on the City of Port Phillip Tenderlink site.
Or, you can contact the Property team on 03 9209 6777, or email property@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Learn more about mobile and temporary food businesses
Contact us
Health Services Unit
Online: My Port Phillip
Email: healthservicesunit@portphillip.vic.gov.au
Phone: 03 9209 6292