Temporary, Mobile Food Premises and Community Events

From 1 July 2011, a state-wide registration scheme was developed for temporary and mobile food premises, to help ensure compliance with the requirement for registration and notification under the Food Act 1984.

If you are a community group operating a van or stall or a food business wanting to hold a stall which sells food, then a temporary application is required.

Depending on your food handling activities, you only need to register with, or notify, the one council under the new system. This is your ‘principal council’. This is the council in whose district your community group or business:

• prepares or stores food that is to be sold at the stall or food van; or
• if food is not usually prepared or stored beforehand by the organisation (e.g. if it is donated by volunteers), the district in which the group usually stores the equipment for the stall or garages the food van; or
• if none of the above apply;
• Please contact Council's Coordinator Public Health and Emergency Management on 1300 520 520.

A new website for temporary and mobile food businesses, food vending machine businesses and water carters operating in Victoria is now available. The website is called FoodTrader.

Your on-line registration will enable your organisation to trade anywhere in Victoria, provided you lodge a Statement of Trade via FoodTrader.

The FoodTrader system is now live. Proprietors/event holders will now lodge applications and manage their Statements of Trade (SOTs) and applications using the on-line system.

FoodTrader resources

• Community group fundraisers
• Food trucks and market stalls
• Water carters
• Vending machines

How to access the system

You can access the system using the following web address: FoodTrader.

Further help using the system

Proprietors requesting further assistance using the system should contact the FoodTrader Hotline on 13 22 15 or email FoodTrader. 

For any other assistance or if you are unable to complete on-line please contact councils Coordinator Public Health and Emergency Management on 1300 520 520.

For further information for community groups please visit the Victorian Department of Health’s Food Safety website.