Health and Safety Rules

Any business that handles food has to be registered with Council. Special rules apply to food businesses, including permanent, temporary and mobile food providers.

See our Food Businesses page for details.

This category includes hairdressers, beauty and nail salons, acupuncture, piercing and tattooists.

For more information, and to view health standards these businesses must follow, visit the NSW Health website.

If you’re setting up this type of business, read our Beauty and Skin Penetration Premises Construction, Fit-Out and Operation Guide PDF, 381.32 KB.

If you're running this type of business from home, you must follow the same rules that apply to commercial beauty and skin penetration premises. See our Home-Based Beauty Businesses page for more information.

Notify Council

You must notify Council before you start operating any beauty or skin penetration business.

Once you are logged in, select Lodge an Application, then Permits & Licences and select your business type.

Businesses that serve alcohol, including bars and restaurants, must get a licence from the NSW Department of Liquor and Gaming.

The Department and NSW Police inspect these businesses to make sure they’re meeting state rules.

For more information, visit the Liquor & Gaming NSW website.

Council's role in liquor licence applications

Council does not grant liquor licences, but we provide advice and comments about licence applications. There are two main ways this happens:

1. We can provide feedback to people applying for a liquor licence before they lodge it with the NSW Department of Liquor and Gaming. See below for our contact details.
2. We receive advice from the NSW Department of Liquor and Gaming after they receive a licence application. Council then provides comments on the application, including information about whether development consent is required and, if so, whether consent is in force. The Department takes these comments into consideration when making a decision about applications.

Serving liquor on Council land

If you're organising an activity on Council land where alcohol will be served, you'll need to arrange a lease / licence agreement or booking with Council before you can apply for a liquor licence. You may also need to get permission through a development consent.

Get advice about liquor licence applications

Call us on (02) 4227 7111 or use the button below to make an enquiry about a liquor licence.

For online enquiries, please select 'Duty Planner Enquiry' in the field 'Which Duty Officer is this enquiry for?'.

Before you install or operate a cooling tower, you need to get development approval from Council.

You will also need to notify us about the system, and follow NSW Health guidelines to control the risk of legionella.

These rules also apply to water warming systems on buildings like hospitals and nursing homes.

Notify Council

You must notify Council before you start operating a cooling tower or water warming system.

Once you are logged in, select Lodge an Application, then Permits & Licences and Cooling Tower / Warm Water Systems.

You must also notify Council if you set up any of the following types of business:

• Public pools and spas
• Mortuaries
• Sex industry premises
• Shared accommodation, such as boarding houses, bed and breakfast, hotels or motels.

Notify Council

Once you are logged in, select Lodge an Application, then Permits & Licences and select your business type.

View inspection fees for businesses or see our full list of Fees and Charges.