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Preparing for what you will be trading

What you are trading will determine the types of permits you need. We have compiled industry-specific guidelines to assist you in progressing your business.

man and woman doing computer work in Hospitality venue

Better understand the permits required

View the fact sheets below to find the permits that relate to your business.

If your industry is not listed below, please contact the Economic Development Team.

Hospitality

For cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars.

Do you need help getting started? For help walking you through the process view or download the Hospitality Businesses Guidelines

Beauty and Personal Services

For beauticians, hairdressers and more

Do you need help getting started? For help walking you through the process view or download the Personal Services Guidelines

Small Industry and Manufacturing

For small businesses who are making and creating, such as a micro brewery or food and beverage production

Do you need help getting started? For help walking you through the process view or download the Small Industry Manufacturing Guidelines

Music Venues

For nightclubs and live music venues

Do you need help getting started? For help walking you through the process view or download the Music Venues Guidelines

Recreation, Gyms and Entertainment

For businesses such as escape rooms, indoor golf, indoor rock climbing and more.

Do you need help getting started? For help walking you through the process view or download the Recreation and Entertainment Guidelines

Resources

Industry Guidelines

The guidelines are designed to help you understand the permits required for your particular business sector:

Business Fact Sheets

The fact sheets are designed to help you understand the types of permits required from the City of Ballarat

Building

Food and Liquor

Planning

Regulations

Contact us

The City of Ballarat’s Economic Development Team is dedicated to supporting businesses, small, large, or just starting. By providing us with the information about your business at the start, we can direct you to the right people in the City of Ballarat to progress your vision.

The team is available to assist you to:

Conduct initial research to identify commercial or industrial sites
Guide you through council's regulatory processes
Connect you with regional markets, key influencers, and business associations
Connect you with other council services

Phone: 5320 5500
Email: economicdevelopment@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Online application form: Small Business Application

The team will then be in contact with you to discuss your business over the phone or to arrange an in person meeting.

Stay up-to-date with business news

Subscribe to our Economic Development e-newsletter to receive information about:

City of Ballarat business development and networking events
Other opportunities for businesses supported by City of Ballarat

Preparing for where you will do business

The types of permits you will need will vary based on what your business vision is, together with where you would like to operate your business from.

Common business permits required

The Economic Development Team is available to guide you through which permits you may need.

Operating from home

To run your business from home while leasing your property, you need to get permission from your landlord first.

Get in touch with our Economic Development Team and let us know what your vision is, so we can ensure that your neighbourhood is not adversely affected by your business.

Once we understand what your plan is, we will confirm if we think you need a planning permit, by checking some key criteria.

This criteria includes:

Whether you are living in the residence
How many people will be working from your property
Amount of home space used by the business
How your business will impact utilities in the neighbourhood, such as sewerage and electricity demand
How your business will impact your neighbours.
How your customers obtain your product from you
What your plans are for signage

Note:

Not all businesses require a planning permit, but it is important to investigate whether you need a permit before you proceed.
Sometimes a planning permit can be a complex and lengthy process, which can take up to two years. The complexity will vary dependant on the proposed location and the request.

Operating a mobile business

This may be a mobile food van or mobile dog wash

Operating on private land

If your business will operate on privately owned land, please touch base with our Economic Development Team, so we can understand your vision and support you in obtaining the appropriate permits

Operating on City of Ballarat land

If you would like to operate a business on land that is controlled by the City of Ballarat, you will need to apply for an Itinerant Trading Permit

To apply, you will need to provide:

A site plan showing the location where you wish to set up
Proposed days and times of operation
Vehicle registration details
Details on what you are planning to sell
Certificate of Currency of a public risk insurance policy with a minimum cover of $20 million

To apply for an Itinerant Trading Permit

View and print the Application for Itinerant Trading Permit

Fill out the form and return:

Via email info@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Via post to Regulatory Services, City of Ballarat, PO Box 655, Ballarat VIC 3353
In person to Customer Service Officer at The Phoenix, 25 Armstrong Street South, Ballarat

Changing the use of an address

This may occur if your property was utilized for a different purpose and there has been a modification in the intended use.

It is important to investigate whether you need a planning permit before you proceed.

Our team will assess the classification of your business within the Planning Scheme and determine if it is allowed at your chosen property. We will then evaluate your business vision against the property's planning controls to advise you on whether you should apply for a Planning Permit.

Please contact our Economic Development team, who can support you in seeking advice from our Planning team on the most appropriate action for your property and business vision.

For more information, refer to the resources on this page

Busking in Ballarat

Artistic and cultural performances are an important part of our creative and vibrant city, and the City of Ballarat aims to improve and encourage such performances.

Visit or Busking permit page to apply or for further Information.

Resources

Industry Guidelines

The guidelines are designed to help you understand the permits required for your particular business sector:

Business Fact Sheets

The fact sheets are designed to help you understand the types of permits required from the City of Ballarat

Building

Food and Liquor

Planning

Regulations

Contact us

The team is available to assist you to:

Conduct initial research to identify commercial or industrial sites
Guide you through council's regulatory processes
Connect you with regional markets, key influencers, and business associations
Connect you with other council services

Phone: 5320 5500
Email: economicdevelopment@ballarat.vic.gov.au
Online application form: Small Business Application

The team will then be in contact with you to discuss your business over the phone or to arrange an in person meeting.

Stay up-to-date with business news

Subscribe to our Economic Development e-newsletter to receive information about:

City of Ballarat business development and networking events
Other opportunities for businesses supported by City of Ballarat

Event planning

An event manager is responsible for planning and delivering an event. If you plan to use public space to run an event, they will need to submit an event application.Complete the event application form onlineWhat is a public space?Road, street, footpath, mall, court or alleyPublic garden, reserve, or other place of public recreationSports grounds and facilitiesWaterwaysOpen space to which the public have or are permitted access...

Preparing your street presence

Setting a good first impression is important, as well as ensuring that your business is not detrimental to your neighbourhood and is a safe space for your customers.

lady inside florist holding an open sign

Once you have confirmed whether you need a planning permit, you may like to consider what your business will look like to your customers.

This page discusses signage and construction requirements

Outdoor trading

This could include tables and chairs or signage on the footpath.

To trade from a City of Ballarat managed land, you will need to apply for a permit.

If you have recently purchased a business with an existing outdoor trading permit, you will need to apply again.

Outdoor trading activates public spaces and creates vibrancy to our streetscapes, however we need to balance community use of the footpath and precinct too.

Outdoor trading covers three broad categories:

Outdoor dining: such as tables, chairs, heaters, pot plants, umbrellas, barrier screens
Advertising signage: such as temporary A-frame signs or tear banners
Displaying goods: such as products being placed on the footpath for sale or hire

If your vision goes beyond the above-listed points, impacts existing City of Ballarat assets and contributes to activation of a streetscape please make contact with the Economic Development team, to discuss your concept in more detail.

For more information, refer to the resources on this page

Outdoor trading - Fees and charges

$200 for outdoor dining*
$100 for display of goods for sale or hire*
$100 for A-frame signage*

Any permit issued will expire 31 July 2026.

*The Council's adopted budget can lead to changes in these fees.

Outdoor trading - Apply for a permit

You will need:

A site plan of the outdoor area detailing where you wish to trade
Photographs of the proposed footpath area
Public Liability Insurance Certificate of Currency with $20 million coverage

Apply for your permit:

Read the Outdoor Trading Guidelines
Have your site plan, photos and insurance documentation ready to attached to your application
Online: Complete the online Outdoor Dining or Trading Application

The City of Ballarat will notify you of the outcome of your application as soon as possible

Signage

Like most businesses, you may want an exterior sign to help customers find you.

The City of Ballarat need to make sure that signs don’t unduly detract from the environment, so a planning permit is sometimes required before signs can be installed.

When you talk about your business concept with the Economic Development Team, they will take your signage vision into account. They can assist you in determining whether you need to apply for a Planning Permit.

Signage on the Footpath

If you would like to place signage such as an A-Frame or flag on a City of Ballarat managed space, for example the footpath, you will need to apply for an Outdoor Trading permit.

Complete the online Outdoor Dining or Trading Application

For more information view or download the Footpath Trading fact sheet

Home based businesses

If you live within a residential area and you are operating a business from home be mindful that you can only display signage at your house that is smaller than 0.2sqm (approx. 40cm x 50cm)

Please speak with the Economic Development Team if you would like to enquire about signage for your home based business.

Modifying a building

Modifying your building can help give your business character and brand, however it is important to ensure the structural integrity of your build, together with the impact that your construction will have on the precinct.

Planning and Building assessments will look at different aspects to the application.

Building Permit

A Building Permit will cover things like the structural integrity of the build, fire safety features within a building and accessibility to and within a building.

Every building is classified and designed according to what it can be used for, ultimately to ensure the safety of the building occupiers and other property.

If you plan to change a building’s layout, configuration, occupant numbers or use, these works will require a building permit to be obtained.

A building surveyor is responsible for issuing a building permit at the start of a building project and an occupancy permit or final certificate on completion of the building works.

The surveyor should be included at the start of the process. Your appointed building surveyor will liaise with the City of Ballarat, so that City of Ballarat’s Building Service Department are aware that the correct building permits have been obtained to occupy the building.

After the building permit is issued, the building surveyor will carry out inspections at different stages during the project to make sure the building work meets minimum Building Code of Australia requirements.

View or download these commonly used fact sheets may help you in understanding the permits required for your business: