Planning Your Event

Northern Grampians Shire Council is supportive of events that celebrate the diversity and vibrance of our community and environment.

Through the registration process, the council offers support by assisting where possible to ensure that all the necessary applications and permits for a safe and inclusive event are addressed. Please download our Planning-Your-Event(PDF, 3MB) information booklet for easy access to the information that you need to plan your event.

Event registration requirements Public Facilities - Food, toilets, waste Additional permit requirements Other event planning considerations

Event registration requirements

The following documents are required for every event held in Northern Grampians Shire. These documents will be requested as part of the registration process and you will need to upload them:

Risk Assessment(DOCX, 177KB) – A risk is anything that may occur which will reduce or threaten the ability to run a successful, as planned event. Whilst planning for your event, you will need to conduct a thorough risk assessment including implementing controls to eliminate the hazard or reduce the risk. This assessment will assist you in holding and managing a compliant and safe workplace for staff and volunteers as well as protecting the public and the council/community asset. The council has a template available for download under the Related Information tab.

Emergency Management Plan(DOCX, 33KB) – This plan is different from the risk assessment as it is created to minimise the threat to life and damage to assets by detailing the specific responses and organised procedures that should be undertaken during an emergency. The council has a template available for download under the Related Information tab.

Certificate of Currency of Insurance – All public events held within Northern Grampians Shire require current Public Liability Insurance for the full duration of the event. This includes the setting up and packing up period. Events, activities, or construction that have a likelihood of causing damage or personal injury must have public liability insurance of at least $20 million. Other amounts will be considered where there is no likelihood of damage or injury.

Event organisers are responsible for the safety of event participants and spectators at all times during their event. The council will not accept liability for personal injury, loss or damage that may occur to participants, third parties or their property as a result of holding an event.

An event that is held on council land or in a council building and/or is open to the public must be registered with the council. Your events may also require a venue booking, which can be arranged by calling our Customer Support Team on 03 5358 8700. We recommend that you make a tentative booking for your venue of choice while you complete the event registration. The only type of event exempt from registration is an invitation only private event that is being held on private land.

Public Facilities - Food, toilets, waste

Alcohol/Liquor and Food Licensing - If you are intending to sell any food or drink (including alcohol) at your event, approval from FoodTrader may be required. A liquor licence through the Victorian Commission and Gambling Liquor Regulation will also be required if you plan to sell alcohol and will need to be submitted to the council. Temporary liquor permits are required for any events where alcohol will be consumed or provided on council land or in a council facility. If you are planning to have food and alcohol vendors at your event you will be required to provide a detailed list of attendees, contact information, and their registration information as part of your registration.

Smoking - Smoking is banned in all outdoor eating areas, as per the Tobacco Act 1987 and Victorian Government smoking bans introduced in August 2017. These bans are inclusive of any and all markets and events that incorporate food. More information can be found at health.vic.gov.au.

Waste management - As the event organiser you will be responsible for all the cleaning arrangements during and after your event. It is your responsibility to carefully assess what bins and waste services are required for the event and to ensure waste services available are sufficient. If not, you will be required to organise your own service and ensure that the venue and area are left completely free of rubbish. The council does have an option within the registration process to obtain a quote for a limited waste service.

You can make your event a Waste Wise Event by reducing the amount of waste generated. This can be achieved by introducing practices such as:

Using reusable packaging rather than disposable

Providing recycling facilities
Advising stall holders to use alternatives such as bamboo products, wooden cutlery, uncoated cardboard boxes and trays, keep cups or enviro-friendly coffee cups and lids and eco straws.
Providing community use drinking fountains and bottle refill stations rather than selling plastic bottled water.

Toilets - The number of toilets required at your event will depend on a variety of factors including the number of attendees, including staff and volunteers, alcohol supply, the duration of the event and what facilities exist and the accessibility of these. Where existing toilets are not adequate or do not meet accessibility, additional, compliant toilets will be required. As an indication it is recommended for three toilets per 200 people at events where no alcohol is available and double where alcohol is available.

Consider the below when booking portable toilets:

Adequate clear directional signs to the toilets
Clearly marked on site plan/map
Easy access to bump in additional and change over if required
The provision of sanitary bins, hand washing and drying (internal or stations)

Regular cleaning and restocking
Non-gender specific
Lighting of toilets if event is at night
Placement of accessible toilets and accessible pathways (it is recommended five percent be accessible toilets)

Additional permit requirements

Event organisers should consider what additional permits may be required for the event and if these are obtained within the council or from external organisations. This is a list of permits that the event may require. Event organisers must complete due diligence and ensure they have all required permits and approvals for their event.

Traffic Management and Street Closures - If your event involves a temporary road closure or footpath use/closure you will need to gain permission from the council. You may also require permits from VicRoads and to engage a traffic management company to assist you with a traffic management plan and traffic controllers. In some instances, if an arterial road is impacted, you may require additional approvals and permits from VicRoads.

POPE (Place of Public Entertainment) - A place of public entertainment is a building or place used or intended to be used for conducting public entertainment or a public meeting which is greater than 500m2 and which may include erection of prescribed temporary structures. Public entertainment means an entertainment or meeting to which admission may ordinarily be gained by members of the public. If you believe your event may fall within this category you can contact the Municipal Building Surveyor on 03 5358 8700 or email at ngshire@ngshire.vic.gov.au for further advice or the VBA at: Prescribed Temporary Structures | Victorian Building Authority (vba.vic.gov.au) to obtain a permit for a prescribed temporary structure.

Siting Permit - A siting permit of a temporary structure is required to be obtained prior to erection of any of the following structures:

Tents, marquees or booths with a floor area greater than 100m2, or
Stages or platforms (including sky borders and stage wings) exceeding 150m2 in floor area, or
Seating stands for more than 20 persons, or
Prefabricated buildings exceeding 100m2 other than ones placed directly on the ground surface.

The regulations exempt community-based organisations from the requirements of an occupancy permit for place of public entertainment in some circumstances. For further information visit the Building Practice Note BP-10: Places of Public Entertainment (vba.vic.gov.au)

Alcohol/Liquor and Food Licensing - If you are intending to sell any food or drink (including alcohol) at your event approval from FoodTrader may be required and a liquor licence from the Victorian Commission and Gambling Liquor Regulation will be required and submitted to the council. Temporary liquor permits are required for any events where alcohol will be consumed or provided on council land or in a council facility. These permits are used to provide public safety for events where liquor consumption will be present. If you are having food and alcohol vendors attending your event you will be required to provide a detailed list of attendees, contact information and registration information as part of your registration.

Fundraising - Raffles can only be conducted to raise funds for organisations that have been declared as community or charitable organisations by us and may require a minor gaming permit. You can hold a raffle without a minor gaming permit if the prize value is $20,000 or less. If you’re conducting a raffle to raise funds on behalf of a charity (i.e. CFA or Cancer Council), you need their written permission before proceeding. Visit Raffle Frequently Asked Questions | Raffle | VCGLR for additional information. The information on this page relates to both commercial and community and charitable gaming.

Signage - The event organiser should consider what signage is required for the event such as (but not limited to):

Entry/Exit
Toilets
First Aid Information
No Smoking (for eating areas)
External promotion and direction

Music Licensing - OneMusic Australia Music Licence - Featured, Live, Background | OneMusic Australia is a joint initiative between music right management organisations APRA AMCOS* and PPCA+. If you are putting on a concert, festival, or other event where you will play music that is protected by copyright out loud in a public place for a commercial purpose you need permission or you need to purchase a music licence. Legally this music use is different to playing music at home or in your car. This is called public performance of music. For more information on public events and music licence requirements please visit Music Licences - Events & Public Performances | OneMusic AU

Fireworks - Any event seeking to use fireworks will be required to engage a licensed pyrotechnician. The pyrotechnician will be required to provide the council with a completed WorkCover notification form and if event is occurring with the fire danger period, the CFA will also be required to be notified and an approval certificate supplied.

Event organisers will also be required to notify residents and traders in the area via letterbox drop prior to the proposed activity.

Worksafe notification of intention to discharge fireworks form: notification of intention to discharge firework | WorkSafe Victoria

Other event planning considerations

First Aid - Event organisers have a duty of care to all attendees, volunteers, and staff that attend an event and must ensure that sufficient first aid assistance is available for the duration of the event. An experienced First Aid Service Provider will be able to assist you with determining the most suitable amount of first aid required for your event. When planning the location of the first aid tent you need to consider the location is well signed, easily located, and accessible for all attendees. The location of the first aid tent should also have easy access for ambulance and other emergency vehicles. All incidents are required to be recorded on incident/accident report forms.

Accessibility - Event organisers must consider accessibility as your event must be accessible to everyone. An important part of the planning is to access the site and put into place measures that achieve this. Some items to consider are:

Signage and advertising and Auslan sign language interpreters
Seating and inclusion of accessible toilet facilities
Inclusive vendors and activity providers that offer services that cover a variety of abilities
Sealed pathways and wide entry/exit points
Ensure the event layout provides for ease of access and mobility
Provide parking close to the event for people with access needs
Check that there is a clear path to the event from the aforementioned allocated parking
Ask attendees if there are any accessibility requirements when registering, if applicable, to give you time to adjust or make provisions
Outline the accessibility features of the event you have chosen on promotional material such as maps or invitations
Consider noise levels and provision of quiet areas for those with sensory issues
Use pictures or symbols alongside words on signage and information points

There are legal requirements which should be considered when organising an event such as the Federal Disability Discrimination Act (1992) which protects Australians against discrimination.

Tickets and Pre-booking - If you are planning a large event or have booked a space with limited capacity it may be worth considering making online booking compulsory. This ensures you can cap your attendance numbers to meet your maximum capacity and can also assist with larger events in planning many of the items mentioned previously. It is also a great way of being able to contact attendees of any event updates, rescheduling or cancellations.

Site Plan Maps - If your event is large and requires having a first aid area, information tent, and other key areas, an easy to interpret map should be available for attendees, staff, and contractors. Items to consider including on the map are:

Event name, address, date, and time
Significant geographical points
Compass point location legend and key
Boundaries
Entry/exit
Emergency access
Drinking water, toilets, and first aid facilities
Parking and accessible parking
Stall holders, licensed area, and food/seating areas
Activities, amusements, and stage areas

Promotion of Your Event - We can assist in promoting your event through our events calendar and Discover Northern Grampians social media platform. To assist us to inform the community, please fill out our Promote Your Event form and include a flyer, any .jpg pictures, links to social media and/or ticket providers and contact name, number and email for the event.

Other options for promoting your event are through social media including local sites such as Northern Grampians Events.

Noise - Event organisers need to consider the surrounding area and effectively manage noise levels to ensure noise remains within prescribed limits, particularly in residential areas and around stock. Location of high noise areas and speakers can assist with noise management. For further information, please visit the EPA website Environment Protection Authority Victoria.

Extreme weather events - In the case of unforeseen or extreme weather events such as heat or rain, an event may be postponed or cancelled. If this occurs, alternate arrangements and proposed communications should be covered in your risk management plan. If you have booked a council venue or facility, you will need to contact the council and confirm that the facility is available for any proposed reschedule dates and times and to update or submit a new event registration as necessary.

If a weather event causes a postponement or cancellation of an event, the event organiser must complete due diligence to ensure all costs are covered by your insurance.

Land-borne inflatable devices (eg jumping castles, slides) - on the advice of the council's insurers, the council does not allow land-borne inflatable devices, eg jumping castles, to be used at events on council owned and managed land.