Tasmania's food van vendors to benefit under plan for single council fee, operator says
Tasmanian food vendors will no longer have to register their businesses in every council area they operate in under proposed new laws, potentially saving them hundreds of dollars.
Under the plan, business owners will only need to register in the council where the van is garaged. (Photo: Supplied)
Registration fees range from $50 to $350 depending on which of Tasmania's 29 council areas vendors want to trade in.
The State Government has proposed a statewide system that would mean food vendors only have to register in one council.
Under the plan, if the food business is conducted from a vehicle, business owners would only need to register in the council where it is garaged.
Health Minister Michael Ferguson told Parliament the proposed amendment to the Food Act 2003 would reduce the operating costs for these food businesses and reduce the administrative burden on councils.
"Currently some, but not all mobile food businesses must register with each council in which they intend to operate," he said.
"This small but effective amendment means that once a mobile food business registers with one council they can operate right across the state.
"This is a far more equitable situation for these mobile food businesses and also eliminates unnecessary duplication of council resources."
No pain, just gain in red tape cut, councils say
The move has been welcomed by the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT).
Chief executive Katrena Stephenson said local government identified the move as an opportunity to cut red tape some years ago.
"Councils recognised that it reduced the burden for these sort of vendors, that in a contemporary, high technology world, that there were opportunities to streamline the process," she said.
She said councils did not stand to significantly lose out financially.
"[That will be] largely unchanged if the council is the originating council," she said.
"It just means that for other councils they won't have to do the full assessment process."
Vendor praises streamlined process
Vendors have also welcomed the move to streamline the registration process.
Taco Taco operator Chris Quinn said the change would make it more affordable to operate across council boundaries.
"You might get a one-off event that someone wants you to do and if you then have to go and pay the council fee it kind of might make you think twice about doing it," he said.
"Whereas if you've got permission to use any given council in the state with just the blanket fee that you pay it makes it a lot easier."
He said it will help him grow his business.
"I think for a lot of other smaller vendors, especially when you're just getting off your feet and getting started, you want to do as much as you can," he said.
"If you're a small vendor and someone wants you to operate say down in Cygnet, you can do that.
"And you can operate the next weekend at a market in Evandale and I think everyone wins with that."
The Government said the changes would not affect food regulation standards or safety.
Source: ABC News, Jane Ryan, 13th October 2015
Originally published as: Tasmania's food van vendors to benefit under plan for single council fee, operator says
