A food business is any person or organisation that sells food or drink. In Wyndham, all food businesses must be registered with Wyndham City and follow regulations to ensure that the food they sell is safe to eat.

To register your food business, you will need to complete the following:

  • Step 1: Check if you need a Planning Permit and/or Building Permit: Prior to making an application you need to obtain all relevant Planning and Building Permits.  If a Planning or Building Permit is required, do not commence any work on the premises until you have received the required permits.
  • Step 2: You need to determine the Classification of your food premises.  Food businesses in Victoria are classified based on the highest risk food activity occurring at the premises. The Class types are Class 1, Class 2, Class 3A, Class 3, and Class 4.  More information on Food Classification in Victoria can be found here.
  • Step 3: Submit your optional Plan Assessment Form. Please allow a minimum of 10 working days to process the application. The inspection is conducted to determine if the proposed food premises comply with the requirements under the Food Act 1984 and Australian Food Standards Code.  
  • Step 4: Final inspection and application for registration - Complete the Business Approvals Application Form and pay the relevant fee and submit it in person or via mail to the Council.  Please allow a minimum of 10 working days to process the application and to schedule an inspection.

Please contact Wyndham City by calling 9742 0738 or email mail@wyndham.vic.gov.au. for details on fees and any further information.

Regulations depending on class of business

 

The class of your food premises determines what requirements you will need to meet before registration will be granted by council.

The following table outlines the  Food Safety Program (FSP) and Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) requirements for each food business class:

Food business class

Food safety supervisor

Food safety program

Class 1

Yes

Yes

Class 2

Yes

Some - food services and retail food premises undertaking any one or more of the 8 high-risk food handling activities, and all food premises registered as manufacturers

Class 3A

Yes

No

Class 3

No

No

Class 4

No

No

More information on Food Business Requirements can be found here 

Record keeping depending on class of business

  • Class 2 FSP template version 1.2 records
  • Class 3: Require minimum records to be completed
  • Class 4: No records are required to be maintained.
  • New Premise Construction Information – Guidance material on structural requirements for a new food premises.

Home food businesses and regulations

To operate a home business, you are required to comply with the same standards as a commercial business.All Class 2 businesses operating from a home kitchen must have a separate hand wash basin, and a double bowl sink installed.

Home food business registration

Registration will be granted based on the following conditions:

  • Proposed food premises complies with the requirements of the Food Act 1984 and Food Standards Code
  • All necessary documents and information has been received by the Public & Environmental Health Unit
  • Building and Planning Departments have been contacted to verify permit requirements
  • The Small Business Permits Application is completed and submitted to Wyndham City 
  • Relevant Registration fee is paid in full

Prior to making an application, contact the Planning and Building departments to discuss any permits you may require.  For more information regarding home business requirements, contact the Public & Environmental Health Unit on 9742 0738.

Labelling requirements for food businesses

Food labels can provide a wide range of information to help consumers make food choices.

Food labels also help to protect the public health and safety by displaying information such as dates, ingredients, certain allergens, instructions for storage, preparation as well as advisory and warning statements.

Please download the Food Labelling Guidelines to see whether your food product requires labelling.

Buying an existing food business (Change of Ownership)

Thinking about buying a food business?

If you are thinking about purchasing an existing food business, you can request an inspection of the premises prior to purchasing the business. 

This can be done by completing the Request for Inspection form below.  The completed form can be emailed to mail@wyndham.vic.gov.au or submitted in person or via mail to Wyndham City Council.

An Environmental Health Officer will arrange an inspection of the premises once the completed form and applicable fees have been paid.

Download Request for Inspection Form

Already purchased a food business?

If you have already purchased an existing food business, you must apply for a Food Act 1984 Registration. 

This can be completed online or you can download and complete the Business Approvals Application form.  The completed form can be emailed to mail@wyndham.vic.gov.au or submitted in person or via mail to Wyndham City Council.  Any applicable fees must also be paid.

You can only commence operation once the Food Act 1984 registration has been granted by an Environmental Health Officer. 

Note:  It is an offence to operate a food business without a Food Act 1984 registration.

Apply to Register Online

Download Business Approvals Application Form

Selling a food business

If you are selling or closing a food business, you will no longer be able to transfer your existing registration to a new owner. You are required to complete the form Apply to close a food business.

The completed form can be emailed to mail@wyndham.vic.gov.au or submitted in person or via mail to Wyndham City Council.

Once the form has been received Council will review your registration and issue a refund if applicable. If you are selling the business, the new owner will be responsible to register the business with Wyndham City Council by submitting a Business Approvals Application Form.

Apply to close a food business

Food Stalls and Mobile Vehicles

Foodtrader s a state-wide online system for the registration or notification of temporary and mobile food premises, vending machines and water transport vehicles under the Food Act 1984.

You can use FoodTrader to register your business or community group’s premises including:

  • Temporary food premises - temporary sites or stalls where food is sold. This includes stalls and tents at school fetes, markets, festivals, and other short term events including sausage sizzles.
  • Mobile food premises - vehicles such as vans, trailers or carts from which food is sold.
  • Vending Machines – Food Vending Machines information.
  • Water Transport Vehicles – Any private business operating Water Transport Vehicles for delivering water intended for human consumption, must register those vehicles using FoodTrader.  Please refer to the Department of Health website for more information..

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

1. Check if you need a Planning and/or Building Permit:

  • If you plan to store any equipment or other items related to the premises or intend on undertaking food handling activities, at a residential property, contact our Planning and Building departments to enquire about necessary permits.
  • You must not begin any work until you have obtained the necessary permits.

If a Planning or Building Permit is required, do not commence any work on the food premises until you have received the required permits.

2.  Check your home related activities:

  • If you intend to handle food at home such as pre-cutting ingredients, marinating meat, or storing high risk foods, you must register your home kitchen and obtain a Food Act 1984 registration from our Public and Environmental Health Unit.

3. Register or notify your temporary and/or mobile food premises.

  • To operate anywhere in Victoria, you must register (Class 1, 2 and 3 food premises) or notify (Class 4 premises only) your temporary and/or mobile food premises with your principal council, using the FoodTrader platform.

To determine your principal council, consider the following criteria:

  1. If your business prepares or stores food to be sold from a van, stall, or vending machine, your principal council is the one where these activities take place.
  2. If your business does not usually prepare or store food beforehand, but you store equipment for a stall or garage your food van or water transport vehicle, your principal council is the district where the equipment is usually stored.
  3. If neither of the above scenarios apply, your principal council is the one where your usual business address is located.
  4. If none of the above are in Victoria, your principal council is the one in which the food van, water transport vehicle, stall, or vending machines will first operate in Victoria.

Once you submit your application form via FoodTrader, it will be received by Public and Environmental Health Unit, and a registration fee (if applicable) will be generated.  You can pay this fee by phone, cheque, or in person at the Wyndham Council Civic Centre.  Please provide your FoodTrader reference number, when paying the fee.

If applicable, an inspection of your premises may be required to ensure the food premises complies with the requirements of the Food Act 1984 and Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code.  

Once your temporary and/or mobile premises has been approved, your Food Act 1984 registration certificate will be emailed to you via FoodTrader.

Food Safety Program

In Victoria, Class 1 and certain Class 2 food businesses, must maintain a Food Safety Program. To determine if your business falls under this requirement, more information can be found here.

For Class 3 premises, it is optional to maintain minimum records to ensure the safe monitoring and management of food.  You can access these records here.

Community Groups can access a Class 2 Community Group Food Safety Program here, or choose to use the FoodSmart template.

Food Safety Supervisors / Food Handler Training

Class 2 food businesses must nominate a Food Safety Supervisor and submit a Statement of Attainment to Council, which meets the Minimum Competency Standards for the relevant food sector.  

If you are a Class 2 community group or a not-for-profit organisation, you may be exempt from the Food Safety Supervisor requirement if you meet the following criteria:

  1. Most of the people handling the food are volunteers
  2. The food activity takes place at the site for a maximum of two consecutive days at any one time.

Additional Resources

Fact Sheets

Contact Details

FoodTrader:

Wyndham City Council:

Update Proprietor Contact Details

If your proprietor contact details have changed, please complete our online form.

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