Inspection Fees

Under Part 10 of the NSW Local Government Act 1993, Council is able to charge a fee to recover costs for the services it provides.  A food business inspection is a service provided by Council to the community and food businesses to ensure that they comply with all relevant food legislation.

The fees collected by Council directly fund all of Council's food Safety activities, including food safety surveillance, food safety seminars, educational material, newsletters and a number of other initiatives available to local food businesses.  In addition, qualified Environmental Health Officers are available to answer any enquiries you may have in regards to food safety.

Food business inspections are not optional and Council inspects food businesses as per Council's Food Safety Surveillance Strategy. Food businesses are inspected at a frequency equivalent to their level of classification. All food businesses are categorised in accordance with the FSANZ classification scheme endorsed by the NSW Food Authority.

Inspection Frequencies

Level 0:        Incident Only (Complaint, food recall or otherwise)
Level 1:        Once per year
Level 2:        Twice per year.

Where critical non-compliances are identified, Council will conduct a reinspection within set time limits to ensure that the food business is now in compliance.  A food business will also be charged for the reinspection and any subsequent inspections after that in order to enforce compliance.

Inspection charges are dependant on the categorised level of each food business. Council charges food businesses per inspection and for each reinspection required.

Inspection Charges (2008/09)

Level 0:        $70
Level 1:        $70
Level 2:        $140.

An Administration Fee will also be charged to cover the cost of services provided by Council to each food business. The Administration fee is dependant on the level of the food business.

Administration Fee (2008/09)

Level 0:        $100
Level 1:        $150
Level 2:        $200.

Although fees are a cost to food businesses, the fees collected provide many benefits to food businesses directly, and indirectly through the Food Safety Surveillance Strategy which is aimed at maintaining a high standard of food safety across the City.

For further information, please see Council's Food Safety Surveillance Strategy.