Food Truck1. Choose your setup
Mobile food businesses in NSW range from full trucks and vans to towed trailers and carts. The type you choose affects your fit-out costs, where you can trade and how much you can cook on board. Decide early what you will prepare on the vehicle and what (if anything) you will prepare in a separate kitchen, because councils assess your setup against what you actually do.
2. Register the business
- Get an ABN, and register a business name if you trade under anything other than your own name.
- Register for GST if your turnover will be $75,000 or more a year.
- Choose a structure (sole trader, partnership or company) that suits your risk and tax position. An accountant can help.
3. Notify your home council
In NSW, mobile food vending vehicles are notified to their home council, the council where you live and garage or store the vehicle. Councils inspect mobile food vehicles against the NSW Food Authority’s Guidelines for mobile food vending vehicles, and some ask you to display your notification or approval on the vehicle while trading.
Trading in other council areas is a separate question. Some councils only need to be told you are operating; others require their own approval to trade on their land.
4. Appoint a Food Safety Supervisor and train your staff
Most food businesses must appoint at least one trained Food Safety Supervisor (FSS). Under national Standard 3.2.2A (Food Safety Management Tools), businesses that handle unpackaged, potentially hazardous food also need food handlers to be trained and, for some businesses, records that show key food safety controls are being followed.
Check which category your menu puts you in. A truck making burgers or dumplings to order sits very differently from one selling pre-packaged drinks.
5. Fit out the vehicle to the guidelines
The NSW Food Authority guidelines set the standard councils inspect against. Expect them to look at:
- hand-washing facilities with warm running water, separate from food preparation
- enough clean water on board, and a waste-water tank (never the stormwater drain)
- temperature control: keeping cold food cold and hot food hot, with a thermometer
- surfaces, storage and pest protection that can be kept clean
Gas and electrical installations should be done and certified by licensed trades. Keep a fire extinguisher and first aid kit on board.
6. Insurance
Public liability insurance is close to essential. Councils and event organisers commonly ask for a certificate of currency before you can trade. Talk to a broker about cover for the vehicle, equipment and stock too.
7. Work out where you can trade
- Council land and roads: needs that council’s approval. In Lake Macquarie, for example, the council has separate registration types for vehicle inspection, trading on private land or at events, and trading on community land, plus an online assessment tool. Our council-by-council permits guide covers Newcastle, Maitland, Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast.
- Private land: get the landowner’s written consent, and check whether planning approval is needed for a regular spot.
- Markets and events: the organiser usually collects your notification, food safety and insurance details and deals with council.
8. Get found by customers
The hardest part of a new truck is letting people know where you are. Publish your menu and trading stops somewhere customers already look, and keep them up to date. A free Food Truck Finder profile puts your menu, photos and schedule on a live map, and on local pages like Lake Macquarie food trucks.