Security, first aid, rides, animal displays and children's activities are all delivered by third parties who hold the relevant licences and checks. Your obligation is to engage the right ones and to hold the evidence that they are what they say they are.
That evidence is what officers ask for, and collecting it after the event has been approved is how organisers end up scrambling in the final fortnight.
What applies, and when
7 requirements sit under this topic, longest lead time first. Lead times are counted back from the first public day of your event.
Security and crowd management
2 months before
Collect from a provider
Licensed security provider · Consult Victoria Police for large or high-profile events
Qualified security/crowd controllers with communication tools, briefed on responsibilities. Requirements depend on event type, size, age group and alcohol presence. Large events should document a written Security & Engagement Plan; a dedicated alcohol compliance guard is good practice for licensed areas.
Why this mattersNumbers scale with crowd and alcohol, and Victoria Police will have a view for bigger events, so consult them rather than guessing. Licensed crowd controllers only; a high-vis vest on a volunteer is not security. A dedicated guard on the licensed area pays for itself in avoided liquor breaches.
First aid, health and medical
2 months before
Collect from a provider
First aid provider · Ambulance Victoria pre-notification at least 10 days prior
Qualified first aid providers, centrally located quiet station with water, power, lighting and waste disposal; scale to crowd, activities and location. Larger events should equip posts with AED, oxygen, trauma kit, stretcher and incident log, and document a Medical & First Aid Plan. Submit Ambulance Victoria pre-notification at least 10 days before the event.
Why this mattersAmbulance Victoria's pre-notification needs ten days minimum, and the first aid post itself needs to be findable: signed, lit, central and quiet. Equip it properly (AED, stretcher, incident log) and give first aiders a radio channel. The incident log matters later; it's your evidence if anything is disputed.
Amusement rides and inflatables compliance
2 months before
Collect from a provider
WorkSafe Victoria · Operators must be WorkSafe registered
Risk assessment, daily safety checks, electrical safety (RCDs, tagging), wind monitoring and anchoring, supervision and signage.
Why this mattersRide operators must be WorkSafe registered, and you should sight the registration rather than take it on trust; unregistered inflatables are how events end up in the news. Daily checks, proper anchoring and wind monitoring are the operator's job, but confirming they happened is yours.
Animal welfare and hygiene compliance
2 months before
Collect from a provider
Dept of Health · Before the event
Supervised interaction, hygiene facilities, safe enclosures and retreat areas, animal welfare and licensing compliance.
Why this mattersPetting zoos are lovely until a gastro cluster traces back to your event. Hand-washing stations beside the enclosure, supervised contact, and an operator who can show their welfare and licensing paperwork. Put the hygiene facilities on the site plan.
Child safety measures
2 months before
Collect from a provider
Working with Children Check Victoria / CCYP · Child Safe Standards apply (permit condition)
The permit requires compliance with the Child Wellbeing and Safety Act 2015 (Vic) including the Child Safe Standards. Working with Children Checks for anyone working directly with children, supervision ratios, a lost child (CODE YELLOW) procedure with a staffed reunification point, and photo consent.
Why this mattersThe Child Safe Standards are a permit condition, not aspiration. Working with Children Checks for anyone working directly with kids, a written lost-child procedure with a staffed reunification point, and every staff member briefed on it. When a parent loses a child at your event, the next ten minutes run entirely on what you decided in advance.
APRA AMCOS / PPCA music licences
2 months before
Apply to another body
APRA AMCOS / PPCA · Before the event
Playing or performing music or music videos may require licences from APRA AMCOS and PPCA.
Why this mattersAPRA AMCOS and PPCA licences cover the songwriters and recordings, and they're entirely separate from every other licence you hold. Event licences are cheap and online; being chased afterwards is neither. If there's live music or a DJ, you almost certainly need one.
Fundraising and raffle permits
2 months before
Apply to another body
Consumer Affairs Victoria / VGCCC · Raffles over $5,000 need a Minor Gaming Permit
Register with Consumer Affairs Victoria if required. Raffles with prizes over $5,000 need a Minor Gaming Permit from VGCCC. Written consent is required if fundraising for a community or charitable organisation you don't run.
Why this mattersRaffles with prizes over $5,000 need a Minor Gaming Permit from the VGCCC, and fundraising for an organisation you don't run needs their written consent. Small sausage-sizzle fundraising is usually fine, but check Consumer Affairs' rules before selling tickets, not after.
Find out which of these apply to your event
Answer plain questions about your event once. Sorted Permits works out exactly which of the 47 requirements apply, when each is due, and drafts the documents for you to review.
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