Restaurants or cafes

Woman making a coffee behind a counter with a display of glass biscuit jars

You may need a planning permit to use land as a restaurant, do renovations or extensions to a restaurant, to serve or sell alcohol, or if car parking requirements cannot be met onsite for a new use. For example, planning permit applications are often made to Council when someone wishes to change an existing shop to a restaurant or cafe.

If you are planning on opening a restaurant or café, it is highly recommended that you arrange a pre application meeting with one of Council’s Planners first to see you are able to make an application and what criteria must be met.

Because a restaurant is listed in the Indigo Planning Scheme with a greater requirement for onsite car parking than a shop, a planning permit application will often be made to reduce or waive the number of parking spaces to be provided on the land for the new restaurant.

A planning permit may also be required for signage associated with a business and it is often useful to provide full details of a proposal to Council's planners to find out what restrictions may apply.

If you want to serve alcohol in your cafe or restaurant you will also need a liquor licence and a planning permit. 

For more information on liquor licenses see below or download our Liquor-licence-fact-sheet.pdf(PDF, 447KB)

Selling or consumption of Liquor

A liquor licence allows you to sell alcohol for consumption as part of your business. The Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Registration (VCGLR) issues liquor licences and decides what kind of licence you need.
 
Liquor licences ensure that licensed premises are situated in appropriate locations, and the permit application process takes into account the impact of the licensed premises on the amenity of the surrounding area. 
 
If you are a sporting club or organisation on land leased from Indigo Shire Council, you must also get Council's permission for a liquor licence. 
 

 

 

Planning Requirements

Often you need a planning permit from Council to sell or consume liquor in addition to a liquor licence.  Some liquor licences that need a planning permit are:
  • General licence;
  • Restaurant and Café licence; or
  • On-Premises licence.

You do not need a planning permit for a:

  • Limited licence;
  • Licence to manufacture liquor; or
  • BYO permit.

In addition you may need a planning permit for the use of the land (for example, a winery, cellar door, or rural industry).

  

Application Requirements

If you need a planning permit for a liquor licence, the following information should be supplied to Council:
  • The type of liquor licence you want (General licence, On-Premises licence or Restaurant and Café licence);
  • The proposed hours of operation;
  • The number of seats proposed;
  • The number of employees;
  • Information on any amplified music;
  • Plans showing the internal layout of the building and the land including the different activities (bar, restaurant/lounge, dancefloor) as well as any outdoor areas and smoking areas proposed to be licenced; and
  • Any acoustic reports or measures to control noise such as double air-lock doors or other features.
All applications must meet the requirements set out in Clause 52.27 in Indigo Planning Scheme.

 

 

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