Council gets no bites for food van permits

THERE have been no applications from mobile food vans to trade in Millicent or at nine other towns across the Wattle Range Council area.

Council was compelled by new State Government legislation to revise its rules and identified the locations where such traders could be temporarily located.

It also set the operating hours and a monthly fee of $200 and a yearly fee of $2000.

Council Development services director Steve Chapple presented a report to the August monthly council meeting in Millicent about the operation of the new policy since the start of the year.

He said the legislation does not allow for a daily licence fee for mobile food vendors.

According to Mr Chapple, ice-cream vendors fell under a different legislated category and one local operator was willing to pay the $50 daily fee to trade.

“A number of enquiries were made to staff from mobile food vendor operators who did not subsequently apply for permits,” Mr Chapple said.

“Several of the enquiries were for the placement of food vans for specific days and not for a whole month or year.

“There were no complaints about the locations.”

In reply to a query from councillor Moira Neagle, Mr Chapple said there had been no applications to coincide with the upcoming skate park competition in Millicent.

Cr Peter Dunnicliff moved a successful motion to amend the mobile food vendor rules to allow a van to be placed in another Beachport location.

Cr Dunnicliff said it could be the boat ramp over-flow parking area or at another location closer to the beach.

Cr Sharon Cox said she supported the motion as there had been long queues for food last summer.

Mr Chapple said the situation was supported by a survey conducted last summer at the Beachport Visitor Information Centre and the town’s two caravan parks.

“We had 120 responses and 75pc said they could not find food.”

Engineering services director Peter Halton said his officers had investigated the possibility of having the parking area as a mobile food van location.

Mr Halton said there could be conflict between the boat trailers and pedestrians, there were no waste disposal facilities and there could be complaints from residents about their interrupted views.