Accommodation and beauty premises

Our Environmental Health officers help businesses get registered under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (the Act), monitor the registered businesses for compliance, and can provide advice to business owners and members of the community. 

Under the Act, the following business must register with their local council:

• residential accommodation
• hotel
• hostel
• student dormitory
• holiday camp
• rooming house
• aquatic facilities
• hairdressing
• beauty or beauty therapy parlour
• colonic irrigation
• tattooing
• ear-piercing
• any other business that involves penetration of the skin.

For more information or advice about your beauty, body art or accommodation business, please contact the Environmental Health team on 5320 5702 or environmentalhealth@ballarat.vic.gov.au.

To register your business you need to:

• Review the Public Health and Wellbeing Act Information Kit or the Rooming House Information Kit
• Complete the Application to Register a Health Premises form - you will be required to submit a floor plan. 
• Pay the appropriate fee (an invoice will be emailed to you after your application is submitted)

Please note that permits or exemptions may be needed from other authorities before applying for registration under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008. These may include, but are not limited to:

• planning services
• building services
• Consumer Affairs 

If your business is offering only ‘low risk’ activities such as hairdressing, temporary make up application and spray tanning, you can apply for an ongoing registration. 

An ongoing registration means you pay a once off registration fee and once registered, your registration will not expire unless it is cancelled, or you move address.

If your business offers other higher risk services such as tattooing, piercing or other beauty therapy services, then the standard registration requirements will apply.

Please note: eligibility for an ongoing registration will be determined once your application to register is received by an Environmental Health officer. An officer will assess your plans and give advice before works start. Once works are completed, an officer will arrange to inspect your premises and once you have received your Certificate of Registration, your business can start trading. 

Business owners should read the Public Health and Wellbeing Business Information Kit to help them fit out their business. 

The infection prevention and control guidelines for hair, beauty, tattooing and skin penetration industries helps business owners and operators to follow the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019. 

To transfer ownership of an accommodation, beauty or body art business, you need to:

• complete the Application to Transfer a Health Premises
• pay the appropriate fee (an invoice will be emailed to you after your application is submitted).

An officer will arrange to inspect the premises after settlement and if works are needed, these must be completed before the Certificate of Registration can be issued to the new owner. 

Please note: businesses with an ongoing registration, such as hairdressing only, cannot be transferred under the Act. A new application will need to be made by the new proprietor. 

All mobile beauty operators must register their main place of business – that is, the place where equipment is stored. 

Mobile skin penetration procedures such as tattooing, microblading or body art businesses are not permitted in Victoria.

A copy of your certificate of registration will be given to you once your registration fee has been paid, a new business inspection has been completed, and the premises complies with the standards.

If you are renewing your registration, you will get your certificate once you have:

• had annual routine inspection,
• returned your registration renewal paperwork, and 
• paid your renewal fee and it has been received by the City of Ballarat.

If you need a copy of your current certificate of registration you can email the Environmental Health team at environmentalhealth@ballarat.vic.gov.au.

Caravan parks must be registered with City of Ballarat under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997, Environmental Health officers inspect and register these businesses according to the Residential Tenancies (Caravan Parks and Movable Dwellings Registration and Standards) Regulations 2020.

To register your caravan park you need to:

• complete the application to register and submit with a plan of your caravan park
• pay the appropriate fee (an invoice will be emailed to you after your application is submitted)
• provide a recent Fire Authority Report
• supply a copy of your Emergency Management Plan

An officer will arrange to inspect your premises and once you have received your Certificate of Registration, your business can start trading. 

Please note that permits or exemptions may be needed from other authorities before applying for registration under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997. These may include, but are not limited to:

• planning services
• building services