Related event approvals

You need to provide to council a list of all food vendors involved with your event. Generally, food businesses that involve the preparation of food do require a licence. You can find out the requirements for temporary food vendors and mobile food vehicles. There are some exemptions that apply for non-profit organisations.

The Mackay region has a range of indoor and outdoor venue options to suit a broad range of events. Depending on the type of event, the number of attendees and proposed setup and location, a park booking with council may be required.

If you want to sell or serve alcohol at your event, you may need a liquor licence from Queensland Government. If your event is to be held on council property you need an endorsement from council for your application. If you need this endorsement, phone council on 1300 MACKAY (622 529).

Banners/signage can be erected for events subject to approval by council(PDF, 321KB) and any other affected parties including Queensland Department of Main Roads or public transport companies.

No signage can be nailed to trees or signposts, and Mackay Regional Council Local Laws prohibits bill posting. Under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011(PDF, 1MB) it is an offence to post a bill on vehicles or on a building or other fixed structure without the consent of the owner or occupier of the vehicle, property or structure. Penalties apply.

Please note - The approved signage must not be displayed for more than 14 days prior to the event and must be removed within 1 day of the event.

Click here(PDF, 463KB) to complete an application to erect a sign. For more information please call council on 1300 MACKAY (622 529).

Fireworks can only be bought, stored, transported and used by professionals licensed by Queensland Government. If you plan to have fireworks at your event, you will need to engage an appropriately licensed professional, and they will need to submit a fireworks notification form to Queensland Government at least seven calendar days before the event.

You need to provide council with a copy of the:

• fireworks notification form submitted to Queensland Government,
• fireworks contractor's public liability insurance and risk management plan,
• a copy of the supplier’s pyrotechnics license
• copy of a letter to surrounding residents to advise of fireworks,
• The fire brigade must also be notified.
• Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) approval may also be required depending on the location.

As part of your notifications to stakeholders, you will need to notify the local fire station about the fireworks at least seven days before the event.

If you are planning to run an event on a beach you will need to gain approval from Mackay Regional Council and the Queensland Government Marine Parks. Before applying for a permit, contact both council and marine parks to discuss your activity, find out the fees, and the supporting documentation required.

For certain festivals and events, it may be appropriate or desirable to close part or all of the road to ensure public safety and/or to modify parking/loading restrictions in the event area.

If you wish to close a road, lane or council car park/parking bay, you must contact council at a minimum of 3 months before the event (major road closures may require 6 months’ notice) to obtain a road closure permit(PDF, 463KB).

You will also be required to provide council with an event traffic management plan prepared by a certified traffic management designer of your choice.

At a minimum, all event organisers are required to submit a risk assessment to council to identify any hazards and implement controls for people arriving and leaving the event.

Click here for more information on how to apply for a temporary road closure.

An event traffic management plan (ETMP) is a document that sets out the inputs, planning and design of traffic management arrangements required to facilitate an event with consideration of all relevant traffic impacts.

While an ETMP may serve many purposes, it should primarily be used to ensure that an event can be safely implemented with appropriate consideration and management of risks.

Any activity (including off-road activities) that has the potential to impact the operation of the road network or traffic flow will require a traffic management plan and/or parking management plan. This includes activities that will affect the flow of traffic beyond the capacity of the existing road infrastructure (e.g. increased demand on road, road closures, changes to road access/conditions and/or increased demand on the number of available car parking spaces) within a 400m radius of the event site.

At a minimum, all event organisers are required to submit a risk assessment to council to identify any hazards and implement controls for people arriving and leaving the event.

Click here to find out if you require an event traffic management plan.