Accommodation business

Accommodation business

Owning an accommodation business in Campaspe Shire requires registrations with Council. 

This includes:

  • bed and breakfasts
  • hotels
  • motels
  • holiday camps
  • student dormitories
  • hostels
  • rooming houses that accommodate over five people.

Under the Public Health & Wellbeing Regulations 2009, all accommodation businesses must comply with rules covering:

  • cleanliness
  • overcrowding
  • maintenance
  • water supply.

Council works with local accommodation businesses to ensure they follow the rules surrounding health and wellbeing. It does so by handling registration of accommodation businesses and regularly inspecting them. 

Read on for information about:

Registering a new accommodation business

When opening a new accommodation business in Campaspe Shire, there are a number of steps you need to complete before you can begin. These steps are outlined below. Please feel free to discuss your proposal with council’s Environmental Health Officers at any stage of the registration process.

Before applying to register your accommodation business with council, make sure you follow these guidelines:

  1. Familiarise yourself with the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2009 and understand the standards and requirements for your accommodation business
  2. Contact council's Environmental Health Officers for information regarding other relevant council requirements
  3. Submit all details and plans to council’s Environmental Health Unit regarding your proposed accommodation business
  4. Once your accommodation business is completed, it must be inspected by one of council’s Environmental Health Officers before the business can begin operating
  5. If the business passes inspection, complete a registration form and submit it to council along with the application fee
  6. A certificate of registration will be issued and your accommodation business can start operating.

Transferring registration

When buying an existing accommodation business, the business registration must be transferred from the name of the existing licensee to the name of the proposed purchaser, so the new owner can legally operate the business. Read on to find out how to do it:

  1. Contact Campaspe Shire Council and speak to an Environmental Health Officer to check the business has a current registration
  2. Send a formal request in writing to council including the business name, address, prospective purchaser and settlement date
  3. Council recommend this correspondence is done through your solicitor and this should be received by council at least two weeks prior to settlement
  4. Once council receive the request, a consent form will be sent to your solicitor to complete
  5. The current proprietor must complete the form to allow the Environmental Health Officer to release information about the business
  6. If requested, a property inspection can then be conducted to ensure the business complies with the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and Regulations 2009, but it is not required. This inspection is a great benefit to the purchaser as it will identify any areas in the premises that need work
  7. Following the inspection, a report will be issued to both the current and prospective owners detailing any issues that need addressing under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and Regulations 2009.
  8. A Transfer of Registration application will be sent to the prospective purchaser’s solicitor. This form must be completed by both the proposed purchaser and existing licensee and returned to council with the prescribed fee. This should be within 14 days of settlement
  9. It is then up to both the current and prospective owners to discuss who will complete any work required. If carried out by the current proprietor, the works should be completed before the settlement date
  10. Once any required work is completed and the application form and fee have been received, a new Certificate of Registration in the name of the purchaser will be sent to the new proprietors.

Note: The business will remain registered in the current proprietor’s name until the application and relevant fee are received by council.

If the transfer fails to proceed, the fee for the transfer still needs to be paid.

For more information, please contact council's Environmental Health Team on 5481 2200 or [email protected].

Other helpful resources

If you are considering building or purchasing an accommodation business in Campaspe Shire, the following resources may be helpful:

Fact sheet - Accommodation Premises(PDF, 515KB)
Fact sheet - Purchasing a Business(PDF, 897KB)
Caravan Park Installation Certificate(PDF, 25KB)