Public Health

Background

In Australia, there are more than 4 million people living with cardiovascular disease (CVD), a collective term for diseases which affect the heart and blood vessels. Cardiovascular diseases are responsible for almost 30% of all deaths in Australia and are twice as likely to cause hospitalisation or death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.  It is a leading cause of burden of disease (12.3%) within our healthcare sector and results in significant social and economic costs to our economy1.

According to the 2021 ABS Census, 5.8% of the Tamworth Local Government Area’s population were reported to have heart disease2.

Cardiovascular disease is largely preventable. One of the key primary prevention measures is a focus on modifiable risk factors, one of which is good quality nutrition.  The fats and oils that we eat can play an important role in the risk of developing heart disease. Different types of fats impact our health differently, with a high consumption of saturated and trans fats being a major cause of CVD. 

As an advocate for our community, Council has the opportunity to influence the local food environment by promoting the use of healthy oil options within our local food establishments. 

 

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References:

1 Heart Research Institute 2024 – Heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular disease in Australia: Statistics and facts

2 Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 – Tamworth 2021 Census All persons QuickStats 

 

Better Oils Program

The Better Oils program is designed to reduce community exposure to saturated and trans fats outside the home by encouraging food businesses to switch to healthier cooking oils in their food preparation activities, such as stir-frying, shallow frying, deep frying, salad dressings and baking.

A healthier oil option should contain:

• 20g or less of saturated fat per 100ml of oil; and
• 1g or less of trans fat per 100ml of oil

Generally speaking, the healthier oil choices include canola oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, peanut oil and some vegetable oils. Oils that are higher in saturated and trans fats and less desirable include palm oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil and animal fats.

The program will aim to:

• Educate our local food businesses on the different types of cooking oils and their health impacts, especially those oils that are high in saturated and trans fats.
• Encourage and work with local businesses to switch to using a healthier oil option by June 2025.
• Connect with local food businesses and the community to raise awareness and understanding of the program and support its implementation.

 

Better Oils Program Competition

To encourage local food businesses to make the switch to a healthier oil option, we are launching the Better Oils Competition on Tuesday October 1 2024. All food businesses in our LGA that switch to using a healthier oil by 30 June 2025 will go into the draw to win one of three free food compliance inspections offered for the 2025/26 financial year. 

To be eligible to enter the draw, you will be required to provide the nutritional details of the oil you are using to Council by the 30 June 2025 by emailing trc@tamworth.nsw.gov.au.  Once we confirm that your oil meets the program criteria you will be entered into the draw, with the winners announced in July 2025. 

Better Oils Competition Terms and Conditions (PDF 55.6KB)

 

 

If you operate or intend on operating a food business, you need to be aware of the relevant health, planning and environmental issues associated with the business.

As well as applying to Council to establish a new business, alter or relocate an existing one, operators need to comply with the Food Act 2003 and Food Safety Standards Australia New Zealand. Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) Food Standards Code.

 

School canteens, children's services that supply food, supermarkets, greengrocers, delis, coffee vendors that sell food, correctional centres and boarding schools have until 8 December 2024 to comply.

 Standard 3.2.2A aims to improve food safety by introducing 3 tools:

•  Food Safety Supervisor (FSS)
• Food handler training
• Showing food is safe

 

 For more information you can go to Standard 3.2.2A Food Safety Management Tools.

 

What you need to know before setting up a new food business or moving your business to a new location:

Fixed Food Premises

Potential operators of a new or existing food business must ensure that they have an understanding of the relevant health, planning and environmental issues associated with the business.

Before starting a new food business, be sure to confirm that the premises you will be operating from is approved for this use, and if it is, that you’re familiar with the conditions of the approval. 

For further information on the planning and approval process you can contact Council’s duty planner by emailing Development@tamworth.nsw.gov.au or calling (02) 6767 5507.

All required information is captured in the Food Notification Form | Tamworth Regional Council

Further information about setting up and running a food business can be found here.

 

Mobile Food Business

If you are wishing to operate a mobile food vehicle on public land you must obtain approval from Council before you can trade.

To obtain approval to operate a mobile food vehicle on public land, you can contact Council’s Development Hub by emailing Development@tamworth.nsw.gov.au or calling (02) 6767 5507 to discuss the approval process.

development standards for mobile food and drink outlets.

 

Do I need to notify?

You will need to notify your business details with Council by completing the Food Notification Form | Tamworth Regional Council

You may be subject to inspections from Councils Environmental Health Officers before or during an event.

More information on the requirements for mobile food vendors can be found at Mobile food vendors.

 

Markets and Temporary Food Events

All temporary food businesses must notify Council of their business details before applying to trade at an event using the following form Food Notification Form | Tamworth Regional Council.

You may be subject to inspections from Council's Environmental Health Officers before or during an event. Participation at events and markets is generally at the discretion of each event organiser so it is best to contact them directly to discuss their site availability.

More information on the requirements for temporary food stalls can be found on the NSW Food Authority’s page Markets and temporary events.

 

Home Based Food Businesses

Do I need approval if I would like to prepare and sell food from home?

If you wish to prepare and sell food from home you will need to lodge a development application with Council to seek planning approval. A development consent is required for all applications that involve the preparation and sale of food from a residential premises.

For more information regarding the development application and approval process you can contact Council’s duty planner by emailing Development@tamworth.nsw.gov.au or calling (02) 6767 5507.

Once you have confirmed the appropriate approvals are in place, you’ll need to notify your business details with Council before commencing operations.

All required information is captured in the Food Notification Form | Tamworth Regional Council.

You can find further information on home-based businesses.

 

Tamworth Regional Council Environmental Health Officers inspect most retail food premises that sell food in the region to ensure they are meeting their legal food safety requirements. Other licenced premises are inspected by the NSW Food Authority.

 

What should I expect during an inspection from Council?

Inspections are generally unannounced and can occur at any time your food business is trading.

Inspections are primarily focused on checking compliance with the Food Act 2003 and the Food Standards Code. This will include an assessment of:

• The design, construction, fit out and condition of the premises;
• How the business prepares, processes, stores, and displays food; and
• How the business manages pests, waste, and other potential risks to food safety.

Fees are charged for inspections, which can be found in Council’s published schedule of Tamworth Regional Council - Fees & Charges - Fees & Charges.

 

Food Recalls

A food recall is an action to remove from distribution, sale and consumption, food which may pose a health and safety risk to consumers. Food recalls are coordinated and monitored by Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

Tamworth Regional Council does not generally coordinate or enforce food recalls. All complaints about recalls should be made to the NSW Food Authority Contact Centre.

• phone 1300 552 406, Monday to Friday - 8:30am to 5:30pm
• voice mail service is available after hours on 1300 552 406
• email contact@foodauthority.nsw.gov.au
• Fax (02) 9647 0026

 

Tamworth Regional Council Environmental Health Officers inspect most premises that sell food in the region. Other premises are inspected by the NSW Food Authority.

On occasion, Council officers will issue penalty notices but only after considerable efforts have been made to rectify a situation with the operators of the food business.

Serious food safety offences may result in penalty notices being issued by Council without warning. Individuals and businesses may receive either a penalty notice for their alleged offence or be prosecuted before a court.If Council issues a penalty notice, details are provided to the NSW Food Authority who publishes lists of business that have been issued with penalty notices or found guilty before a court for breaching food safety laws. This is known as the Name and Shame Register.

Visit the NSW Food Authority Offences page to find out more.

 

Scores on Doors is a NSW Food Business hygiene rating program run in partnership with the NSW Food Authority. Tamworth Regional Council has been taking part in the Scores on Doors initiative since August 2016, helping our local community make informed choices about where to purchase food.

Scores on Doors gives consumers a quick, visual and transparent means of assessing the hygiene of a food business by way of a star rating system. A star rating of 3, 4 or 5 is issued to each business by Council once they have been inspected.

The star rating indicates how they meet their legal food safety requirements – 3 stars is good,4 stars is very good and 5 stars is excellent. The program is voluntary and businesses can choose if they wish to participate.

The rating is not for either the taste of the food or the standard of service the business provides.

If you’re a resident who would like to learn more about the Scores on Doors program, please visit the NSW Food Authority’s Scores on Doors Consumer Information page.

For local food business operators:

• Council has developed a self-assessment checklist (PDF 200.1KB) based on the Food Premises Assessment Report, that food businesses can download, print off and complete regularly to help you assess how well you are doing and identify areas that might need improvement.
• Find out more about what you need to do to achieve the highest rating by reading the fact sheet How to Achieve a Higher Rating (PDF 505.2KB).
• If you wish to have a re-inspection to review your star rating, download the application form (PDF 218.3KB) and return it to Council for the Environmental Health Officers to assess

 

View the latest Scores on Doors ratings in our region here (PDF 113.8KB).

 

How can Council help me with food complaints?

Our Council Environmental Health Officers investigate a range of food complaints within the Tamworth Council area including:

• single case food poisoning
• food handling
• food contamination or foreign substance in foods
• the hygiene of a food premises

 

To make a food complaint, please contact the Council Customer Service Centre on 02 6767 5555 or through the MyTRC app.

 

Food Poisoning

If you suspect you have food poisoning, please seek medical help immediately.

If you file a complaint about food poisoning, please have the following information:

• the nature, time and location of the incident
• details of the restaurant, function or event where you believe you consumed the contaminated food including full street address details
• if anyone has become ill, their symptoms and when they started to become ill
• what they ate at the suspected meal and what others ate as well, including dips and sauces

 

if there is any left-over food that could be tested if an officer determines this is warranted.

 

 

Any premises where skin penetration services are undertaken in the Tamworth Region are subject to an annual inspection by Council’s Environmental Health Officers.

This ensures these businesses comply with the Public Health Act 2010 and Public Health Regulation 2022, are maintained in a clean and sanitary condition, and are suitably constructed to ensure hygienic conditions are maintained.

It is a legislative requirement for any premises where skin penetration treatments are carried out, to be registered and approved with Council before commencing trade. This includes any premises that carries out one or more of the following services in a fixed location or a mobile business:

• Acupuncture
• Beauty treatments
• Body, nose and ear piercing
• Cosmetic enhancements
• Colonic lavage
• Tattooing

For further information on the regulations and standards regarding skin penetration services, visit the NSW Department of Health information page or contact Council’s Environmental Health Officers on 02 6767 5555.

 

New Business or Change of Location

What you need to know before setting up a skin penetration business or moving your business to a new location?

Before starting a new skin penetration business, be sure to confirm that the premises you will be operating from is approved for this use, and if it is, that you’re familiar with the conditions of the approval. 

You can contact our duty planner by emailing Development@tamworth.nsw.gov.au if you unsure or by calling (02) 6767 5507.

Once you have confirmed the appropriate approvals are in place, you’ll need to register your business details with Council before commencing operations, and any time you change business details after that.

All required information is captured in the Tattoo, Body Piercing and Beauty Treatments Notification Form

 

Home-based skin penetration business

If wish to offer skin penetration services from your home, you will need to make a development application to Council. A Development Consent is required for applications that involve the provision of skin penetration services from a residential premises.

For more information regarding the development application and approval process you can contact Council’s duty planner by emailing Development@tamworth.nsw.gov.au or calling (02) 6767 5507. 

Once you have confirmed that the appropriate approvals are in place, you’ll need to notify your business details with Council before commencing operations.

All required information is captured in the Tattoo, Body Piercing and Beauty Treatments Notification Form.

 

 

What should I expect during an inspection from Council?

Councils Environmental Health Officers can conduct unannounced inspections at your premises any time you are trading. Inspections are primarily focussed on checking compliance with the Public Health Act 2010 and Public Health Regulation 2022. During the inspection, the officer will assess the following:

• Design, construction and fit out of the premises;
• Cleaning and disinfecting processes;
• Sterilisation of skin penetration equipment;
• Record keeping
• Waste management.

 

Fees are charged for inspections are in Councils published schedule of Tamworth Regional Council - Fees & Charges.

 

 

All water carters need to ensure that they are providing safe drinking water in accordance with the Public Health Act 2010 and Public Health Regulation 2022

The Public Health Act 2010 and the Public Health Regulation 2022 require drinking water suppliers to:

• have a quality assurance program (QAP) that complies with the Regulation
• comply with and implement the QAP
• provide a copy of the QAP to the local Public Health Unit
• keep records relating to managing the safety of its drinking water supply.

 

The NSW Guidelines for Water Carters provide guidance for all water carters in meeting their legislative responsibilities under the Public Health Act 2010.
You’ll need to register your business details with Council before commencing operations, and any time you change business details after that.
All required information is captured in the water carters notification form.

 

Council regulates both cooling water systems and warm water systems under the Public Health Regulation 2022. This is to minimise the risk posed by Legionella and other bacteria, which favour the warm, moist environments of cooling systems.
All water-cooling systems must comply with AS /NZS 3666.3: 2000 and AS /NZS 3666.2: 2002.

What should I do if I own premises with a water-cooling tower on the roof?

The owners of premises are required to notify Council:

• within one month of the purchase of premises which has one of these systems
• within one month of the installation of one of these systems

 

All required information is captured in the Cooling Water System and Warm Water System Notification Form.

For general information please refer to the following links legislation, guidelines and factsheets from NSW Health or by contacting Council’s Environmental Health Officers on (02) 6767 5555:

• Managing cooling water systems
• Public Health Act 2010
• Public Health Regulation 2022

 

Tamworth Regional Council inspects all public swimming and spa pools in the Tamworth Regional Council area in accordance with the requirements of the Public Health Act 2010 and Public Health Regulation 2022.

Public swimming and spa pools can become contaminated with disease causing organisms, which may be introduced into the water from bathers or environmental conditions. These disease-causing organisms can be effectively killed off when appropriate disinfection measures of pool water are taking place.

A public swimming pool means a swimming pool or spa pool to which the public is admitted, whether free of charge, on payment of a fee or otherwise, including those swimming pools and spa pools:

• to which the public is admitted as membership of a club
• provided at a workplace for the use of employees
• provided at a hotel, motel or guest house or at holiday units, or a similar facility, for the use of guests, and
• provided at a school or hospital

 

A public swimming pool does not include a pool situated on private residential premises, unless it is operated for commercial gain (e.g. swim schools).

Under the Act and Regulation, an occupier of premises at which a public swimming pool and/or public spa pool is located is required to:

• notify Council of their existence. All required information is captured in the Public Swimming Pool and Public Spa Pool Notification Form
• ensure that the primary disinfectant is either chlorine or bromine
• ensure that the public pool is fitted with either an automated or a continuous metered disinfectant dosing system
• ensure that the public pool complies with the specified levels of bromine and chlorine, pH and alkalinity, and meets testing and record keeping requirements. These requirements are set out in detail in Schedule 1 of the Regulation
• ensure that all aspects of the Act and Regulation that relate to public swimming pools and spa pools are complied with.
  
  

The following public health legislation and resources are available to public swimming and spa pool operators:

• Public Health Act 2010
• Public Health Regulation 2022
• Schedule 1- Public Health Regulation 2022
• NSW Health Public Swimming Pools and Spa Pools

 

The relevant fees cover all administrative tasks related to the registration of notifiable premises with Council. Administrative tasks include financial processing, data management and alterations to Council registers, and the provision of technical advice from staff.

It also allows Council to identify any unapproved development and work with the owners to legitimise their business operations.

 

Operating a new business, moving your business to a new location without notifying Council or operating without notifying Council is an offence and penalties may apply.

 

The notification requirement applies to every new fixed, mobile or temporary food business, unless the food business is licensed by the NSW Food Authority.

The notification requirement applies to every business that provides skin penetration treatments.

The notification requirement applies to all premises with water cooling towers.

 

If you are planning to establish a new food business, or alter an existing business then you will need to confirm if any planning approvals may be necessary.

A Development Application or Construction Certificate may be required for applications that involve the change of use of premises, structural building work or new developments.

 

A food business must be designed and constructed to satisfy the requirements of Food Safety Standard (FSS) 3.2.3 – Food premises and Equipment.

 

You must contact Council’s Environmental Health Officers no less than twenty-four (24) hours prior to opening to enable them to inspect the premises.

 

Nothing, unless there are changes to, for example, the name, address or owner of the business, then you must notify Council about these changes before they take place.