Starting a Food Business in Australia: a Checklist

Before you sell a single meal in Australia, you generally must notify or register your food business with your local council (or state food agency), fit out the premises to Standard 3.2.3, and set up food safety systems under Standards 3.2.2 and 3.2.2A - including a Food Safety Supervisor, trained handlers and records. Doing these in the right order avoids costly rework. Requirements vary by state and territory, so confirm the detail with your council and regulator. Key takeaways: Almost every Australian food business must notify or register its details with the relevant enforcement agency (usually the local council) before it starts handling food - Standard 3.2.2 sets this baseline, and trading without it is a common, avoidable breach.. Get the sequence right: check your business structure and ABN, use ABLIS to find every licence and approval, confirm your fit-out against Standard 3.2.3 before you build, then notify/register and open. Fit-out mistakes are expensive to fix after construction.. Standard 3.2.2A generally requires higher-risk food service, catering and retail businesses that handle unpackaged, potentially hazardous, ready-to-eat food to appoint a certified Food Safety Supervisor and ensure food handlers have the right skills and knowledge - and, for some, to substantiate key controls with records.. The Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS) at ablis.business.gov.au is the free tool that lists the specific licences, registrations and permits your business needs based on your location and activity.. Rules, fees and approval steps differ by state, territory and council. Always confirm the specifics - including planning and health approvals - with your local council and state or territory food regulator before committing.. First decisions: structure, ABN and what you are selling Before any food-specific approval, sort out the business basics, because they shape everything downstream. Decide your business structure (sole trader, partnership, company or trust), register for an Australian Business Number (ABN) and, if you expect turnover at or above the GST registration threshold, register for GST. Register your business name if you are not trading under your own name. Be precise about what you will actually do - a packaged-drinks kiosk, a full commercial kitchen, a home-based cake business, a mobile van or a food stall at markets each trigger different rules. This 'scope' determines your food safety classification, whether Standard 3.2.2A applies, and which council approvals you need. Getting the description right early means the licences and fit-out you plan for are the ones you actually need. Choose a business structure and register an ABN via the Australian Government's business registration service. Register for GST if your projected turnover meets the registration threshold, and register a business name if required. Write a clear, honest description of your food activities - it drives your food safety classification. Note whether you are fixed premises, mobile, temporary/market, or home-based, as rules differ for each. Use ABLIS to find every licence and approval you need Australia has no single 'food business licence' that covers everything; requirements are layered across federal, state/territory and local government. The free Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS) at ablis.business.gov.au is a good starting point: enter your location and business type and it returns a tailored list of the registrations, licences and permits that generally apply, with links to each agency. Typical results for a food business include local council food business registration or notification, planning/development approvals, and depending on activity a footpath dining permit, liquor licence, signage approval, or a mobile/temporary food permit. Treat the ABLIS list as your master to-do list, then confirm each item directly with the issuing agency, because ABLIS points you to requirements but the council or regulator administers them. Run your business details through ABLIS (ablis.business.gov.au) to generate a tailored licence list. Expect a mix of council, state and (occasionally) federal requirements - not one single permit. Watch for planning/development consent, which is separate from food safety approval and often takes longest. Confirm each listed item with the issuing agency, as ABLIS signposts but does not itself approve. Plan the fit-out to Standard 3.2.3 before you build Standard 3.2.3 (Food Premises and Equipment) sets the construction and design baseline, and it is far cheaper to design in than to retrofit. The overarching principle is that premises, fixtures, fittings and equipment must be designed and constructed so they can be effectively cleaned and, where needed, sanitised, and so they help keep food safe and suitable. In practice councils commonly look for smooth, impervious, cleanable floors, walls and ceilings; adequate hand washing facilities provided specifically for washing hands, with warm running water, soap and a hygienic means of drying hands; separate sinks for equipment and food washing; suitable temperature control (refrigeration and, where relevant, hot holding); good lighting and ventilation; and construction that excludes pests. Many councils offer a plan-assessment or pre-approval service - submit your fit-out plans for review before construction so you do not build something that fails inspection. Do this before signing a long lease, too, because an unsuitable building can be a deal-breaker. Design surfaces to be smooth, impervious and easy to clean; seal junctions and avoid unsealed timber. Provide dedicated hand washing facilities with warm running water, soap and a hygienic means of drying hands - not shared with food or equipment washing. Include enough refrigeration, and hot-holding where needed, to keep potentially hazardous food out of the 5 C to 60 C danger zone. Submit fit-out plans to your council for assessm