food premises – City of Joondalup

Outdoor eating areas (alfresco activities)

Outdoor or ‘alfresco’ eating refers to an area in which tables, chairs and other structures are provided for the consumption of food or drink on public land, such as within the verge, adding vibrancy and activity to an area.

Certain approvals are required before a business can provide an outdoor eating area. The City assesses applications for outdoor eating areas by considering the potential effect of such use on the amenity, function and character of an area.

Planning requirements

Where the alfresco dining (outdoor eating) proposal meets all the provisions of the Alfresco Activities Local Planning Policy, development (planning) approval will not be required. Instead, to confirm that development (planning) approval is not required, a completed Alfresco Activities Self-Assessment Checklist is required to be submitted with your Outdoor Eating Permit (see below) for review by the City.

Development (planning) approval will be required for an alfresco dining proposal where it does not comply with the provisions of the City’s Alfresco Local Planning Policy. Please refer to the Development (Planning) Approval Checklist – Alfresco Activities for application requirements.

Fees to submit an application for development (planning) approval are in accordance with the Planning Services Schedule of Fees and Charges.

Environmental health requirements

An Outdoor Eating Permit is also required to operate an outdoor eating area that is located on public land, such as footpaths. Details that are required to be submitted with a new application are available within the City’s Outdoor Eating Checklist.

Outdoor Eating Permits are required to be issued annually.

Application, Permit and Use of Land fees can be viewed in the Environmental Health Schedule of Fees and Charges.

You can submit an application for an Outdoor Eating Permit using any of the below methods:

Online via myJoondalup

Download and print a hard copy formand submit it:

By email
In person – Visit the City of Joondalup Administration Centre, 90 Boas Avenue, Joondalup.
By post – PO Box 21, Joondalup WA 6919.

New Food Safety Standard for Food Businesses

On Friday 8 December 2023, a new food safety standard called Standard 3.2.2A – Food Safety Management Tools will take effect in Australia and will impact most food businesses. This new Standard aims to improve food safety and reduce the rate of food-borne illnesses linked to poor handling of food in certain types of food service, catering and retail businesses.

The new Standard will place an obligation on most food businesses to ensure that food handling staff undertake food handler training and appoint at least one trained food safety supervisor. Most food businesses that process unpackaged potentially hazardous ready-to-eat food will also be required to maintain records relating to specific food business activities.

The City will continue to offer its free online food safety training programs: I’m Alert and FoodSafe Online. These training programs are suitable to meet the training requirements of Standard 3.2.2A for food handlers.

Separate training is required for the appointed food safety supervisors. The WA Department of Health website contains a list of online training providers.

Further information on the requirements of the new Standard, and the types of food business that are impacted, is available on the WA Department of Health website. This includes information provided in other languages.

Food business registration

Whether you are buying an existing food business, or starting a new one, registration of your food business must be obtained before you start to operate.

This includes food businesses such as:

Food trucks or food stalls
Commercial premises
Home businesses.

For food trucks and food stalls, registration needs to occur with the local government that the food business is garaged or stored. Only a single registration is required which is valid across all of WA.

Some exemptions do apply, such as businesses that only sell low-risk, pre-packaged food. Although community and charity organisations are often also exempt from registration, a completed application form is still required as notification of the food activities occurring.

Further information is available on the What is a Food Business fact sheet.

Application requirements

If you are taking over an existing food business with no changes to the premises, only a completed application form and a copy of your menu is likely to be required.

If you are starting a new food business, then a copy of the floor plans and elevations, menu, recipes and labelling information may be required. Please refer to the Starting a New Food Business web page.

The fee for the registration of a food business can be found within the Environmental Health Schedule of Fees and Charges.

Lodging an application for food business registration

You can submit an application to register a food business using any of the below methods:

Online via myJoondalup

Download and print a hard copy form and submit it:

By email
In person – Visit the City of Joondalup Administration Centre, 90 Boas Avenue, Joondalup.
By post – PO Box 21, Joondalup WA 6919

Cancelling a food business registration

If you are selling your food business or no longer wishing to operate, it is a requirement that your food business registration be cancelled. Cancelling your registration is easy:

You can submit an application to cancel using any of the below methods:

Online via myJoondalup

Download and print a hard copy form and submit it:

By email
In person – Visit the City of Joondalup Administration Centre, 90 Boas Avenue, Joondalup.
By post – PO Box 21, Joondalup WA 6919.

Starting a new food business

If you are looking to start a new food business, that includes the construction or internal fit-out of a building or mobile food truck, then you will need to be aware of the construction requirements of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code .

These requirements will also apply to an existing food business that may be subject to any alterations or additions.

It is recommended that you speak with an Environmental Health Officer before undertaking any works. An application for Food Business Registration is required prior to starting your food business.

You will also need to consider whether a development (planning) approval or building permit is required, before starting any works.

Food handler training

The operation of a food business requires that all staff carry out their work in ways that ensure that the business produces safe food. All staff must have a good understanding of the risks to food safety and the appropriate knowledge of safe food handling practices.

The Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code contains requirements for the skills and knowledge of all food handlers.

The City offers a free online training course called FoodSafe Online to assist food businesses in training their staff. The course is presented in an interactive, easy-to-follow format and allows the user to print off a certificate upon completion that can be kept as a staff record. It is recommended that all food handling staff repeat the training at least annually.

Free access to FoodSafe Online is provided by entering the discount voucher FSJOOND359 on the payment page.

Additional training on allergy awareness for food businesses is also highly recommended.

The City also offers an alternate online food safety training course called I’m Alert, which is suited to volunteer food handlers and community groups.

Environmental Health Australia offers the FoodSafe training pack. This helps businesses meet their food safety requirements by documenting cleaning and pest control, monitoring food temperatures, and recording and monitoring deliveries. The training package contains a video, a workbook with questionnaires, and an ongoing proprietor workbook.

Food monitoring

The City’s Environmental Health Officers undertake regular monitoring of food businesses within its boundaries.

This includes:

Carrying out unannounced risk assessments of all food businesses on a regular basis.
Investigating complaints about food handling practices.
Collecting evidence of breaches of the food legislation and initiating legal action where necessary
Sampling locally produced foods and comparing the results to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

If you are concerned with a food safety matter or would like to lodge a complaint regarding food, please refer to the City’s Food or Food Business Complaint Form.

Food prepared in residential kitchens

If you are making food at home with an intention to sell at events, markets or other places of business, food business registration must first be obtained.

As most residential kitchens would not meet the standards of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, only limited food preparation for sale is able to be carried out. This typically includes low-risk foods such as cakes (without cream or custards), biscuits and jams.

Further information can be found in the City’s fact sheet, Preparing food at home for sale.

Any home business will also need to consider the planning requirements.

If you are looking to establish a Family Day Care, that includes providing meals to children, a food management plan to address food safety risks will also need to be submitted with an application for registration of a food business, where a residential kitchen is used.