Food businesses are booming in Wyndham, with the bulk of new operations being home-based.
Wyndham council received 409 applications from people seeking to establish temporary and permanent food premises in the 2015-16 financial year – similar to the number of applications in 2014-15, with 414.
The 2014-15 figures were a 26 per cent jump on the preceding financial year.
Wyndham city operations director Stephen Thorpe said the rapid population growth across the municipality was responsible for the increase in applications.
“Sixteen applications from the last financial year have not yet been finalised,” Mr Thorpe said.
“This can be due to a variety of reasons, including the business owners deciding not to go ahead with their applications.
“Most of the applications that council receives are for home businesses.”
Meanwhile, state government data released last week shows that the council is on the ball when it comes to dealing with non-compliant food premises.
For the past two years, Wyndham has had a 100 per cent strike rate when following up such cases, compared with the state average of 92.5 per cent across other Victorian municipalities.
In the 2015-16 financial year, Wyndham had four cases of non-compliance. In 2014-15, seven cases were recorded and acted upon.
Mr Thorpe said non-compliance issues related to issues with temperature control, hand-wash basins, cleaning and sanitising.
“Council continues to work with current business owners and new applicants to ensure that food premises are maintained at a high standard, minimising the risk of poisoning,” he said.
