Prescribed temporary structures need their own occupancy permit, assessed against building rules rather than event rules. Separately, an enclosed area of public entertainment can require a Place of Public Entertainment occupancy permit, which turns on the size of the area and the nature of the organiser rather than on the crowd alone.
The exemption boundaries matter here and they are not intuitive, which is why the app works them out from your answers rather than asking you to interpret them.
What applies, and when
3 requirements sit under this topic, longest lead time first. Lead times are counted back from the first public day of your event.
Place of Public Entertainment (POPE) Occupancy Permit
3 months before
Apply to another body
Shire Statutory Building · Via Statutory Building, 1300 850 600
Required for outdoor public events over 500m2 unless run by a community organisation with attendance under 5,000 at any one time. Supporting documents: site plan, risk and emergency plans, PLI, details of temporary structures. Qualified safety officers required. The POPE and Siting Approval must be DISPLAYED in a prominent location on event day.
Why this mattersThe POPE permit exists because temporary venues have killed people, so Statutory Building takes it seriously. It needs its own supporting pack and a qualified safety officer, and the approval must be displayed prominently on site. If you're near the 5,000 community exemption line, confirm your peak attendance honestly; being wrong on the day is a shutdown risk.
Occupancy Permit for prescribed temporary structures
3 months before
Apply to another body
VBA / Shire Statutory Building · Via Victorian Building Authority process
Required for stages/platforms over 150m2, marquees/tents over 100m2, seating stands for more than 20 people, prefab buildings over 100m2. Council may request engineering drawings and emergency procedures. All marquees/structures must be secured with sand or concrete weights: pegs and star pickets are not permitted. Nothing attached or tethered to trees or assets.
Why this mattersBig marquees and stages are buildings in the eyes of the VBA, with engineering to prove. Two site rules that bounce people: everything weighted with concrete or sand (pegs and star pickets are banned), and nothing tied to trees. Ask your structure supplier for the occupancy permit paperwork when you book, not when the Shire asks.
Electrical safety and generators
2 months before
Collect from a provider
Energy Safe Victoria · Licensed electrician sign-off before public access
All leads and equipment tested and tagged within 3 months of the event; no double adapters on power boards; ramp-style cable covers (not rubber mats) or cables mounted 3m+ overhead; generators to Australian standards on protective matting, in ventilated areas away from public, silenced where possible; fire extinguishers rated for electrical fires. Best practice from real permits: a licensed electrician tests and signs off all power before any public access, and remains contactable during the event.
Why this mattersThe rule that prevents the worst day of your life: everything tested and tagged within three months, ramp covers on cables (rubber mats don't comply), generators on matting away from the public. Best practice from real events here: a licensed electrician tests and signs off all power before any public access, and stays contactable.
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.
Get sorted, free →
Other topics