Apply to run a food stall or mobile food business

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You are here: Temporary food stalls
Mobile food vendors
Sausage sizzles

Temporary food stalls

Food stall businesses need to register with us to operate in the North Sydney local government area.

A temporary food stall is a stall where food is being sold or distributed, that is set up for an event (such as a market, fair or festival) or for short-term food service.

You will need to comply with Council’s requirements for the operation of a temporary food stall. If you don’t meet these requirements, you may be prevented from trading, fined, or directed to cease until you achieve compliance. Non-compliance can also affect future approvals.

Please complete the following registration form to apply to operate a food stall in the North Sydney area:

It can take 2–3 weeks to process a temporary food stall registration. This may take longer if we need to ask you for additional or incomplete information. You can pay an urgency fee to have your application processed in 1–3 business days or 4–10 business days.

Fees and payment

After you send your completed form to customerservice@northsydney.nsw.gov.au, our Customer Service team will email you a remote payment link to pay your fee.

You can also apply and pay in person at Council's Customer Service Centre (200 Miller Street, North Sydney 2060).

Application fees are:

Low-risk stalls – $50
High-risk stalls – $100
Urgency fees:
- For approval within 1–3 business days – $100
- For approval within 4–10 business days – $75

Reapplying

Once your stall is registered with North Sydney Council, you do not reapply unless there has been a significant change to your business details (for example, where food is prepared) or menu (such as a coffee stall starting to sell toasted sandwiches).

Registering your temporary food stall with Council is a compliance requirement for all food stalls operating within our local government area. You will still need to seek permission from each event organiser or market to attend with your stall.

You may need a Food Safety Supervisor

You will need a Food Safety Supervisor (FSS) if the food your stall serves is:

ready to eat
potentially hazardous (needs temperature control), and
not sold and served in the supplier’s original packaging

Food Safety Supervisors oversee day-to-day food handling operations and ensure risks are managed.

If your operation is low risk (sealed packaging, no holding or cooking required) you will not need a FSS Certificate.

Examples of high and low risk food stalls

High risk	Low risk
One or more of the following applies: prepares, handles, stores or sells potentially hazardous foods high-risk food handling activities food sampling involving high or medium-risk food types determined by Council	One of more of the following applies: does not prepare, handle or store potentially hazardous foods low-risk food handling activities food sampling involving low-risk food types determined by Council
For example: sushi meat, chicken, seafood raw egg products dairy products including cheese, milkshakes and ice milk drinks cakes and pastries containing potentially hazardous foods such as meat, cream or cheese pasta, pizza salads sandwiches pies, sausage rolls etc. chips (potato) on a stick, cheese on a stick, hot dog on a stick cutting fruit including but not limited to watermelon, pineapples, strawberries and bananas vegetarian hot foods such as curries fruit juice and smoothies cheese toasties corn baked goods where made on site coffee where milk storage is not refrigerated	For example: unpackaged food sales of low-risk foods such as nuts, dried meats such as biltong, lollies including liquorice pre-packaged baked goods such as muffins and cakes that do not contain potentially hazardous foods and are not made and packaged on site packaged foods including tea, honey, spices and lollies alcohol sales and sampling lemonade carts (lemonade only, no food) bars (drinks and prepacked packets of chips or nuts) coffee only (where milk storage is refrigerated) popcorn ice cream and gelato

High risk

Low risk

One or more of the following applies:

prepares, handles, stores or sells potentially hazardous foods
high-risk food handling activities
food sampling involving high or medium-risk food types
determined by Council

One of more of the following applies:

does not prepare, handle or store potentially hazardous foods
low-risk food handling activities
food sampling involving low-risk food types
determined by Council

For example:

sushi
meat, chicken, seafood
raw egg products
dairy products including cheese, milkshakes and ice milk drinks
cakes and pastries containing potentially hazardous foods such as meat, cream or cheese
pasta, pizza
salads
sandwiches
pies, sausage rolls etc.
chips (potato) on a stick, cheese on a stick, hot dog on a stick
cutting fruit including but not limited to watermelon, pineapples, strawberries and bananas
vegetarian hot foods such as curries
fruit juice and smoothies
cheese toasties
corn
baked goods where made on site
coffee where milk storage is not refrigerated