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Home based business

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Is your home-based business growing?

We love seeing our home-based businesses grow and we are here to support you during this journey.

Many home-based businesses can operate without the need for a planning permit. However, depending on the level of growth or and changes within your business, you may actually require a planning permit.

Also, you may need other permissions from Council depending on the specific business you’re operating (e.g. food preparation, accommodation, hair salon). The information below will assist you to determine whether you need a planning permit for your home-based business.

We also recommend you contact our Economy & Culture team on email or calling 5471 1745 to ensure your home-based business is complying with the planning scheme and other legislation and regulations.

Running a home-based business

Some home-based businesses require permits and some others don’t.

If you comply with the statements below, then you don’t require a planning permit:

  • You are conducting your business from your principal place of residence
  • You work with no more than two persons who do not live in your home
  • You do not use more than 100 square metres, or one-third of your home’s surface area for the business (including storage)
  • You do not service or repair cars or other vehicles
  • You have one commercial vehicle at a time (the vehicle must not be serviced or repaired in your dwelling and be less than 2 tonnes)
  • You only sell goods that you manufacture or service in your home (this does not apply for online sales)
  • You store materials used and goods manufactured in your home
  • You do not display goods, and store goods for trade inside
  • You do not offer online goods to be collected from your home

Your business does not disrupt the neighbourhood in any way including:

  • The appearance of any building, works or materials used
  • The parking of motor vehicles
  • The transporting of materials or goods to or from the dwelling
  • The hours of operation
  • Electrical interference
  • The storage of chemicals, gasses or other hazardous materials
  • Emissions from the site

If you don’t meet these requirements, please contact Economy & Culture to get more information about your options.

Home-based business may need other permissions from Council depending on the specific business you’re operating (e.g. food preparation, accommodation, hair salon).

Mount Alexander Shire Council has designed a Self-Assessment tool that will help you understand what permits your business
may require and what triggers each permit. It takes less than five minutes and will give you clarity about next steps.

We encourage you to complete it and send it to our Economy & Culture team so that we can give you further support.

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