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Registration is required for any place of business involved with the handling and sale or exchange of food by means of a 'koha'
You require registration under the Food Act 2014 when you are selling food in any way, shape or form, except under certain circumstances when food is offered on stalls for charitable/cultural organisations. Online food sales must be registered to comply with the Act.
Everyone working in the food industry has a responsibility to make sure that the food we buy is safe and suitable to eat.
A central feature of the new Act is a sliding scale where businesses that are higher risk, from a food safety point of view, will operate under more stringent food safety requirements and checks than lower-risk food businesses.
The law recognises that each business is different for example a corner dairy operator who reheats meat pies won't be treated in the same way as the meat pie manufacturer.
The Act brings the following food safety measures:
To find out where your business fits, use the 'My Food Rules' tool on the MPI website.
Our advice is ensure you check out the feasibility and legalities of your proposal with the relevant Council departments:
When purchasing a new building or business, it is recommended that you obtain a Land Information Memorandum (LIM). This is a report on what the Council know about the land and buildings at your chosen site.
Please note, before a food registration certificate can be issued, you'll need to ensure you have obtained all of the necessary consents and approvals, e.g., Resource Consent (under the RMA), Certificate of Compliance, Code Compliance Certificate or Certificate of Public Use (under the Building Act).
You do not need to register if you are selling food:
Please complete the Registration Form and Scope of Operations below to register your food business.
You have to register your food business with a registration authority. This can be with us or the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
The registration authority will depend on the food business location and the plan/programme it has been registered under.
Go to the Ministry for Primary Industries website and use the tool to find out which plan suits your business.
There are two types of food control plans.
Most businesses use template food control plans provided by the Ministry for Primary Industries.
Businesses that make or sell mid to lower-risk foods are more likely to register under a National Programme.
What does ‘Scope of Operations’ mean? The term ‘Scope of Operations’ is used to describe the activities of your food business and also includes:
If you are operating a food business you need to tell Wairoa District Council exactly what your business does. One way to do this is by filling out the ‘Scope of Operations’ cards. You need to complete the ‘Scope of Operations’ before you register, make sure you include your completed ‘Scope of Operations’ cards with your application form.
When your application to Register a Food Business and Scope of Operations forms are received, they will be lodged and forwarded to the Compliance and Licencing Manager for review.
If further information is required, you will be contacted.
On completion of the review, the Certificate of Registration will be issued on receipt of payment of the registration fee.
It is your responsibility to ensure you renew your registration before it expires. You cannot renew an expired registration.
We will send you a renewal application form before your notice of registration expires - so it is important to let us know if your email or postal address changes.
If your registration expires, you may need to re-register by lodging a new application and paying the full registration fees. Re-registering your business may impact your verification frequency.
Your renewal letter will advise on how you can pay to renew your registration.
All registered food business need to be checked (verified) by a recognised verification agency.
If you are exclusively operating in the Wairoa District, the Council is the only verifier you can select for Food Control Plans or National Programmes operating under a Food Control Plan:
For a National Programme which can't opt up to a Food Control Plan you will still need to register with the Council or MPI but you will need to organise a third party verifier - Find a food verifier on the MPI register
For a new business, the first verification will be carried within six weeks of registration.
The subsequent verification will depend on the outcome of the previous verification.
One of our Environmental Health Officers will contact you to make an appointment to carry out the verification.
You will be charged a set fee for a minimum of 2 hours, then charged in fifteen minute blocks*. See our Fees and Charges page.
A full invoice will be sent to you after your verification is closed out and must be paid by the allocated due date.
*The size of your food business and the complexity of your process can affect how long your verification will take.
Wairoa District Council (Council) is a registration authority under the Food Act 2014 (the Act) for food control plans (FCPs) and food businesses subject to a national programme (NPs). Under the Act, any appropriately recognised agency or person can verify a business operating under a NP. The following terms and conditions apply to food businesses which have agreed with Council to act as their verifier.
Verification
Obligations of the food business
The food business agrees to provide Council with the following:
The food business warrants that all information and documents provided are complete, true and accurate and up-to-date and that:
Preconditions or Conflicts of Interest
If any staff from the Council has been involved in the design of your food premises or procedures, we cannot act as your verifier. We aim to undertake the agreed services in an independent and impartial manner at all times.
Fees and Charges
Verification fees and charges are published at https://www.wairoadc.govt.nz/our-council/fees-and-charges/ and are subject to periodic review in accordance with the Act. Charges for all verification related services will be invoiced following verification and are non-refundable. Ministry for Primary Industries food business levy will be paid upon registration and annually at the end of July thereafter.
Term and Termination
The food business may terminate the agreement with Council at any time by giving at least two (2) weeks written notice. NOTE: The law requires Council’s to verify businesses registered under the Template Food Control plan. Therefore if you terminate the agreement with Council while the registration is active with Council you may be in breach of the Food Act 2014. Where the Council cannot provide a verification service under this contract or where it can no longer provide a service, it will advise the food business at least two (2) weeks prior to stopping the service of the need to make arrangements to engage another verifier. Council may terminate the agreement and stop providing any verification services immediately if the food business is in breach of these terms and conditions or if their registration is revoked, suspended, surrendered or substituted.
Complaints and disputes
If you have a complaint in relation to our services, or the person conducting them, or you dispute any recommendation put forward by your verifier, or you would like to comment on the service you received, please contact the Compliance and Licensing Manager. We document all complaints, disputes and compliments in an attempt to continually improve our service under our Standard Operating Procedures Manual. All complaints or disputes are confidential.
Disclaimer
A verification under the Act does not constitute a permit, authorisation, or other permission under any other Act, Regulation or bylaw. The verification report provided is based on the inspection of the accessible aspects of the food business and represents the Council officer’s opinion of the observable condition of the building, facilities, equipment and documents on the day and time of the verification. The verification report is prepared for the food business and MPI only. The food business agrees to indemnify, defend and hold the Council harmless from any third party claims arising out of the food business distribution of the verification report to any third party. Council’s liability for mistakes or omissions in the verification report is limited to a refund of the fee paid for the verification.
Sending correspondence
The Council will send all its correspondence (e.g. reports, invoices etc) to the last address and/or email details you have provided. Please advise us if you change your details.
Licensing Fees and Charges approved for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
All fees and charges are inclusive of GST (except as noted *).
| Licencing | Fee (incl GST) |
|---|---|
| Food Premises registered under the Food Act 2014 - Fees | Registration of Food Control Plan | $310.00 | Registration of National Programmes & National Programmes operating under a Food Control Plan | $310.00 | Renewal of Food Control Plan & National Programmes | $260.00 | Renewal of National Programmes operating under a Food Control Plan | $260.00 | Amendment to registration - amendment of Food Control Plan registration or National Programme. | $205.00 | Food Business Levy (MPI Imposed) | $111.84 | Verification/Audit (includes up to two hours of verification activities) - including site visits and compliance checks with food plans. (Also covers any follow up verification site visits to check remedial actions, verification checks.) - Any time over and above (e.g. follow up work) is charged at $205 per hour | $410.00 | Verification/Audit Per hour for every subsequent hour over and above the two-hour minimum charge | $205.00 | Compliance and monitoring (Per hour) - includes: - Compliance driven investigation resulting in issue of improvement notice by food safety officer - Application for review of issue of improvement notice - Monitoring of food safety and suitability | $205.00 | Milage for Council Vehicle per km | $1.63 | All other services for which a fee may be set under the Food Act (Per Hour) | $205.00 | Food Control Plan | $25.00 |
customerservices@wairoadc.govt.nz
+64 6 838 7309
+64 6 838 8874
Coronation Square, Queen Street, Wairoa
PO Box 54, Wairoa 4160, Hawke's Bay
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