New rules to keep mobile food vendors away from businesses

Perth Now

21-05-2025

The City of Bayswater has adopted new rules that will force mobile food vendors to stay further away from bricks-and-mortar businesses.
Under the city's new guidelines, mobile food vendors will have to be at least 200m from established businesses that are open for trade with the same offerings.
This increases to 350m from businesses on Broun Avenue, Coode Street and Crimea Street.
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The previous distance requirement was 50m.
The term 'same offerings' refers to specialty food or beverages, not products that are commonly sold by most food businesses such as bottled water or soft drinks.
Mobile food vendors will also need to increase their public and product liability insurance from $10 million to $20 million.
The guidelines were reviewed after a request at the council's February meeting by Cr Josh Eveson, who did not want any more mobile food vehicles allowed at Crimea Park until this was done.
There had been complaints about mobile food vendors creating commercial competition with nearby businesses, and the cleanliness of the area after an event.
If they succeed, they succeed, if they don't they don't, it's because their offering is not right.
The new guidelines restrict the number of mobile vendors at Crimea Park in Morley to five, but there is no restriction at Bardon Park in Maylands or Riverside Gardens in Bayswater.
Other locations can have up to three mobile vendors.
The guidelines were adopted 6-3 at the council's April 29 meeting.
Cr Eveson said Crimea Park had a 'unique set of circumstances' but mobile food vendors were working fine elsewhere in the city.
'Balance is the important element here,' he said.
'It's not trying to squash competition at all, it's about complementary services.
'There's a significant value when food trucks and established businesses work together. We've seen that at events like Noranda Bites, with a highly successful season proving not only popular but also delivering fantastic increases in trade for not just the food trucks but also the businesses that are already there and pay rates and contribute to our community year in, year out.
'With these changes, I'm confident Crimea will continue to be a great community space along with the other locations that are flourishing with food trucks.'
Cr Giorgia Johnson said the city should do nothing as it was not its role to stop competition.
'You can have two cafes next to each other, you can have two burger shops next to each other, and they will do what they do,' she said.
'If they succeed, they succeed, if they don't they don't, it's because their offering is not right.
'This is trying to solve a problem that could be solved by other things that we have in place.
'It came from the idea that mobile food vans at Crimea Park were making a lot of noise. We could have solved that problem by putting in power points and managing it that way.'
Mayor Filomena Piffaretti said the new guidelines were a 'good middle ground' in balancing the needs of bricks-and-mortar businesses that paid rates with activating public spaces.
'When a business owner comes to you and tells you that we have policies in place that are actually hurting them, we really need to take that on,' she said.
Cr Assunta Meleca said the guidelines were intended to support the city's bricks-and-mortar businesses as well as mobile vendors.
'We need to protect the ones that do exist. We want people to frequent them, and we need to ensure that we are showing that we are a city that is actually caring for each of these businesses,' she said.
Cr Michelle Sutherland said food vans did not pay rates and it was 'as simple as that', while Cr Sally Palmer described the distance requirement as 'Orwellian'.
The City of Bayswater's larger neighbours also have distance requirements. Mobile food vendors can be found across Perth. Credit: tikkatango
Mobile vendors that want to use Britannia Reserve in the City of Vincent can not be within 100m of a permanent food business, and itinerant vendors, such as ice-cream vans, are not allowed within 100m of a permanent food business of the same food type.
Under the City of Perth's mobile food trading policy, mobile vendors must not be within 100m of an open bricks-and-mortar food business. It also limits the number of vendors to prevent an oversupply.
The City of Belmont's mobile food trader guidelines say they are intended to make sure mobile food traders complement existing food businesses.
They do not have distance requirements but limit mobile food traders to nine pre-approved locations. At some locations operators will need a letter of endorsement from sporting clubs based there that generate funds from their canteens.
'While our guidelines do not specify a strict distance requirement between mobile vendors and bricks-and-mortar businesses, the city carefully assesses each application to ensure a balanced approach,' CEO John Christie said.
'We can refuse an application if it would create an unfair competition against local businesses and sporting clubs.'
The Town of Victoria Park allows mobile food vendors only at approved events to 'balance the competing needs and interests of pedestrians, consumers and local business proprietors'.
The Town of Bassendean's application form for food stall and food vehicle operators asks for proof of completion of a food handler training program, $10m public liability insurance, and information about what food and drinks will be provided and how they will be stored or prepared.