Every mobile food business in Australia must be registered or notified as a food business under its state or territory's Food Act, and in every jurisdiction that process is administered by local councils rather than the state directly.
Beyond that shared structure, the details differ meaningfully by state. Here is what applies where, and what to confirm rather than assume.
Key takeaways
- All states regulate under their own Food Act; councils administer registration day to day.
- Victoria uses Streatrader — one principal council plus a Statement of Trade per council area.
- NSW operates under the Food Act 2003 with the NSW Food Authority and Food Safety Supervisor rules.
- Fees are set locally and vary widely — get a current figure from your council, not a guide.
- Never assume compliance transfers between councils, states or previous owners of a truck.
The national picture#
| State / Territory | Legislation | Administered by | Notable feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victoria | Food Act 1984 | Councils via Streatrader | Principal council + Statement of Trade |
| New South Wales | Food Act 2003 | Councils; NSW Food Authority | Food Safety Supervisor requirement |
| Queensland | Food Act 2006 | Councils | Mobile licensing provisions |
| South Australia | Food Act 2001 | Councils | |
| Western Australia | Food Act 2008 | Local governments | |
| Tasmania | Food Act 2003 | Councils | |
| ACT | Food Act 2001 | ACT Government | Single jurisdiction |
| Northern Territory | Food Act 2004 | Councils / NT Health |
Nationally, the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, published by Food Standards Australia New Zealand, applies across all jurisdictions. Standard 3.2.2A sets food safety management requirements — including food safety supervisor, food handler training and evidence requirements — for certain food service and retail businesses.
Victoria: Streatrader#
Victoria's system is the clearest of any state, and the most useful to understand even if you trade elsewhere.
Mobile and temporary food businesses register their food premises through Streatrader, the Victorian online system operated under the Food Act 1984. You register with a single principal council — normally the council where your business is based or where your vehicle is kept.
Before trading anywhere in Victoria, including in your own principal council's area, you lodge a Statement of Trade through Streatrader. It tells the relevant council when and where you intend to operate.
The practical benefit is genuine: a properly registered Victorian truck can work across council boundaries without separate registration in each one.
New South Wales#
Food businesses in NSW operate under the Food Act 2003 (NSW), with the NSW Food Authority as state regulator and day-to-day administration through local councils.
NSW retail food businesses handling unpackaged, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food must have a certified Food Safety Supervisor. For a food truck, that is almost always you or a senior staff member.
Check with your council
Rules, permits and fees are set by individual councils and change regularly. Confirm current requirements with the council where you’ll be trading before you commit money.
NSW's notification pathway and portal arrangements for mobile vendors have changed over time. Rather than relying on a process described in any guide, including this one, confirm the current requirement directly with the NSW Food Authority and the council where you will register.
Other states and territories#
Queensland operates under the Food Act 2006, South Australia the Food Act 2001, Western Australia the Food Act 2008, Tasmania the Food Act 2003, the ACT the Food Act 2001 and the Northern Territory the Food Act 2004. In each, councils or local governments administer registration.
Most jurisdictions have some mechanism that lets a mobile food business registered in one council area trade in others, usually with notification. The specifics differ by state and have been amended over time, so confirm the current arrangement with your state regulator rather than assuming the Victorian model applies.
What else you need beyond registration#
Public liability insurance. Commonly required at $10 million or $20 million by councils, venues and event organisers. This is typically a permit or contract condition rather than a statutory requirement — but you will not get onto most sites without it.
Gas compliance. LPG cylinder storage, gas appliance installation and certification. Requirements and the responsible authority differ by state, and the work must be done by appropriately licensed trades.
Electrical compliance. Including testing and tagging of portable equipment, with requirements varying by jurisdiction.
Fire safety. Extinguishers and fire blankets appropriate to your cooking type, correctly maintained.
Food safety program or records, depending on your classification under the Food Standards Code.
Vehicle registration and roadworthiness, which is separate from food business registration entirely.
Detail on the insurance side is in food truck insurance and compliance.
Event permits are a separate thing#
A common and expensive misunderstanding: your food business registration covers you as a business. It does not authorise an event.
For events on public land, the event organiser typically holds a separate event or land-use permit from the council. If you are trading at someone else's event, confirm they have it. If you are running your own event on public land, you need it.
Check with your council
Rules, permits and fees are set by individual councils and change regularly. Confirm current requirements with the council where you’ll be trading before you commit money.
Requirements, fees and processing times are set by individual councils and change regularly. A permit process you completed last year may not be the current one. Always confirm with the council where you will be trading before you commit money or accept a booking.
A practical compliance checklist#
- Food business registration in your home jurisdiction, current.
- Notification or Statement of Trade lodged for each council area you will trade in.
- Food Safety Supervisor certification where required.
- Public liability certificate of currency, at the level event organisers request.
- Gas certification, current.
- Electrical testing and tagging, current.
- Fire equipment, in date.
- Vehicle registration and roadworthy.
- A folder — digital and physical — containing all of the above, in the truck.
That last point matters more than it sounds. Event organisers and council officers ask for documents at the gate, and the operator who produces them in thirty seconds trades while the one searching their email does not.
Related reading#
For the full startup sequence see how to start a food truck business in Australia, and for costs, what it really costs to start a food truck.
Sources and scope#
This guide is general information, current as at September 2026. Food business registration, permits and fees are administered by individual councils under state legislation and change regularly. Always confirm current requirements with the council where you will be trading, and with your state's food regulator, before you commit money. This is not legal advice. For national food safety standards, see Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
