Outdoor trading permits

You need to apply for a permit to trade outdoors at your business.

This includes if you want to:

• trade on the footpath
• set up a parklet
• set up an outdoor dining structure.

Outdoor Trading Policy

Please read our Outdoor Trading Policy before applying for one of our outdoor trading permits. This policy is a guide for business owners on how to trade outdoors using shared spaces safely and fairly.

This overarching policy supports our:

• Footpath Trading Guidelines
• Parklet Guidelines
• Outdoor Dining Structure Guidelines.

All 3 of these documents are available to download on this page.

Annual permit fees 

Annual permit fees apply to all 3 of our outdoor trading permit types, and are valid until 30 June 2024. We review these fees each year as part of our budget process.

Centres such as Burke Road in Camberwell and parts of Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn are priced differently per square metre. This is due to higher trading returns compared to other shopping centres, more people using the footpath and competing community demands.

Footpath Trading Permit

Footpath trading allows business owners to trade on public footpaths in front of their business. To apply for a Footpath Trading Permit, the footpath outside your business needs to be at least 2.4 m wide.

Footpath trading is made up of 3 zones. This includes the:

• pedestrian zone
• trading zone
• kerbside zone.

There are a number of rules you must follow to trade on public footpaths.

These include:

• minimum kerb clearances
• correct ways to arrange and display your items
• standards for portable and real estate signs.

Our Footpath Trading Guidelines include more information about these rules you need to follow, and about the permit application process. These guidelines are available in the downloads section below.

How to apply

You can apply for a Footpath Trading Permit by filling in our digital application form.

Apply for a Footpath Trading Permit

It takes between 2 and 4 weeks to review your Footpath Trading Permit application. Once we have reviewed your application, we will contact you by email to let you know if your application is successful.  

If your application is successful, we will then organise the payment of your Footpath Trading Permit fee by emailing you the invoice. The invoiced amount is an annual fee. You can find the fee amounts for different locations in Boroondara in the Annual permit fees section on this page.

Parklet Permit

Parklets are parking bays repurposed for outdoor dining. They became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns as government grants to councils were used to help businesses to continue trading.

We offer 2 types of Parklet Permits to businesses:

1. Seasonal parklets for a 6-month period between November and April
2. Annual parklets available for a 12-month period.

You can also apply for a short-term parklet outside of the seasonal program at any time. If you would like to apply for a parklet outside of the seasonal or annual parklet program, you can email [email protected] or call our Business Concierge on (03) 9278 4444.

There are a number of rules you must follow to set up a parklet.

Some examples are:

• Parklets must be built with a platform that is level to the footpath next to it. This allows for safe and accessible travel between the parklet and the footpath.
• Parklets can only operate with appropriate road safety infrastructure to protect the parklet and people dining outdoors.

Our Parklet Guidelines include more information about the rules you need to follow and the permit application process. These guidelines are available in the downloads section below.

How to apply

You can apply for a Parklet Permit by filling in our digital application form.

Apply for a Parklet Permit

It takes between 8 and 10 weeks to review your Parklet Permit application. Once we have reviewed your application, we will contact you by email to let you know if your application is successful.

If your application is successful, we will then organise the payment of your Parklet Permit fee by emailing you the invoice. The invoiced amount is an annual fee. You can find the fee amounts for different locations in Boroondara in the Annual permit fees section on this page.

Outdoor Dining Structures Permit

Outdoor dining structures build on footpath trading. They are built structures that business owners can use for outdoor dining and leave out at the end of the day. They often feature awnings and a roof to create a semi-enclosed space. You must be able to remove the structure when the permit expires.

There are a number of rules you must follow to set up an outdoor dining structure. For example, horizontal awnings must have a vertical clearance of at least 2.4 m from the ground to its underside, and must not extend over the roadway or a nearby car park.

Our Outdoor Dining Structure Guidelines include more information about the rules you need to follow and the permit application process. These guidelines are available in the downloads section below.

How to apply

Step 1: pre-application process

You will need to complete the pre-application process for the Outdoor Dining Structures permit to confirm you are eligible. This helps to avoid any unnecessary costs and time.

We recommend you don’t start working with designers or related building or planning approvals until you have received pre-application confirmation from us.

You need to provide the following documents for the pre-application process:

• Site plan showing the proposed structure, including site dimensions, dimensions of proposed structure, and location of any infrastructure.
• A Before you Dig report from the Before you Dig Australia website.

An Outdoor Dining Structures Permit is only a possibility if:

• the footpath outside your business is at least 3 metres wide 
• the area outside your business does not to have any underground or above ground infrastructure.  

If your site does not meet these conditions, you will not be eligible for an Outdoor Dining Structures Permit.

Submit a pre-application form

Step 2: apply for the Outdoor Dining Structures Permit

Once we have reviewed your pre-application and confirmed you can move ahead, you can then apply for the Outdoor Dining Structures Permit.

Apply for an Outdoor Dining Structure Permit

It takes between 2 and 4 weeks to review your Outdoor Dining Structures Permit application. Once we have reviewed your application, we will contact you by email to let you know if your application is successful.

If your application is successful, we will then organise the payment of your Outdoor Dining Structures Permit fee by emailing you the invoice. The invoiced amount is an annual fee. You can find the fee amounts for different locations in Boroondara in the Annual permit fees section on this page.

More information

For more information about outdoor trading permits, you can email [email protected] or call us on (03) 9278 4444.

You can request the application forms on this page as printable documents by emailing [email protected] and letting us know which forms you require.