New rules for food trucks

New rules are in place for Port Hedland’s mobile food vendors with the Town of Port Hedland council at its last ordinary meeting unanimously approving amendments to the Trading in Public Places policy.

Renewal of some vendors’ licences can now be done by authorised officers instead of the council and the maximum number of food vendors at one location has changed from three to the discretion of the chief executive.

Amendments were recommended by the Town’s senior environmental health officer to improve quality of customer service and ensure greater efficiency regulating mobile food vendors.

“In response to the initial influx of applications for coffee and food vans, a policy was required to provide operator direction and council discretion to ensure that any roadside trading was both controlled and served the best interests of the Town,” the report said.

Mobile food vendors have been limited to Don Rhodes Museum, Dreamers Corner, Finucane Island and Port Hedland Boat Ramps, the International Airport Information Bay and Wedgefield Wheelbarrow between 5am and 10pm — unless by separate application and a fee. Hai’s Coffee vendor Hai Huynh said vendors wanted more options.

“We have sport events especially we’d like to attend,” she said

“More variety is better, (but) for every event we have to apply with the Town of Port Hedland.”