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                    Street trading

                    Customer chatting to food van stallholders.
                    City of Melbourne facilitates street trading activities in the municipality. We issue permits and provide guidance on activities ranging from footpath trading such as outdoor cafes, spruiking and busking, through to long-term leasing of kiosks and cylinders.

                    ​​​​ Permits are issued in accordance with the Activities Local Law 2019 and the Street Acti​​vity Policy 2011.

                    Types of permits

                    We issue the following permit types:

                    • Outdoor dining: For hospit​ality businesses with existing indoor dining wanting more space to trade on the footpath or street.
                    • Footpath street trading: For retail businesses or individuals wanting to access public space for the sale of goods or services.
                    • Food vans: For mobile food vans wanting to access designated spaces with the city for regular trade.
                    • Kio​sks ​and cylinders: For businesses or individuals wanting to access and lease council-owned and managed kiosks and cylinders.
                    • Markets: For community groups and organisations wanting to organise regular markets in public space including the sale of goods or services.
                    • Busking and street entertainment: For individuals or groups wanting to perform or busk in public space.
                    • Spruiking: For businesses or individuals wanting to verbally promote their goods or services in public space.
                    • Street gardens: For individuals and community groups wanting to install gardens and other street greening into public space.

                    Apply for and manage permits online

                    You can now apply for and manage some street trading permit fees online via a new system, City of Melbourne Services.

                    For more information on the system, including how to register, log in, submit and manage your permit applications, see Permit help and support.

                    ​Payments

                    You can pay online for permits issued for short-term cylinders, markets and street gardens. 

                    Note that a payment reference is required, and would have been provided to you after an application has been submitted. Please contact enquiries@melbourne.vic.gov.au for further information on making a payment. 

                    ​Other permits

                    In addition to the permits issued by the Street Trading team, the City of Melbourne also issues permits for the following activities:

                    Report an issue

                    City of Melbourne can respond to issues where a street trader is operating in a disruptive or unlawful way. This could include any unsolicited sales, or operating without a permit.

                    We can respond to street trading issues relating to:

                    • outdoor cafes
                    • street trader or street advertising
                    • busking
                    • fundraising activity (including handing out leaflets)
                    • a horse-drawn carriages
                    • other types of business operating out of local laws.

                    Street Activity Policy 2011

                    The Street Activity Policy sets out how street trading is to occur in public space. To support the policy, separate policy operating statements for each type of activity were considered and approved by Council’s Future Melbourne Committee.

                    Permits issued under the Street Activity Policy 2011 must also comply with the Activities Local Law 2019.

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