Health and beauty businesses

Overview

In Nillumbik, all personal care and body art businesses must be registered with Nillumbik Shire Council and follow regulations to help minimise health risks.

Under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 you must register the place of business (premises) where you provide personal care and body art services.

Personal care and body art businesses include:

  • hairdressing
  • beauty therapy treatments including: makeup, waxing, threading, manicures, pedicures, spray tans, microdermabrasion and facials
  • colonic irrigation
  • tattooing and cosmetic tattooing
  • body and ear piercing
  • makeup
  • skin penetration procedures including: dry needling, micro-blading, laser and electrolysis
  • wet cupping

Note: all commercial tanning units are banned in Victoria.

Before you apply to register

Are you starting a new health and beauty business or changing an existing health and beauty business?

To avoid costly mistakes:

  • get prepared and check what other approvals you will need from Council by following our guide
  • or contact Council's Economic Development team to discuss your plans by emailing business@nillumbik.vic.gov.au
  • tune in to our Your Business is our Business podcast series to learn more about operating a health or beauty business

    Listen to our podcast

     

     

Meeting public health requirements

Infection prevention and control is important so that you do not transmit a disease or infection to yourself or your clients.

The Department of Health and Human Services publish infection prevention and control guidelines for hair, beauty, tattooing and skin penetration industries.

These guidelines help those involved in the healthy and beauty industries to comply with requirements in the:

  • Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (the Act)
  • Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019

Visit the Victorian Department of Health website for Health guidelines for personal care and body art industries.

Approved notices and information sheets

The Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 require:

  • the display of a Department of Health and Human Services approved notice about the scope of registration.
  • Department of Health and Human Services approved information about the risks and safeguards associated with certain processes to be given to clients (tattooing, ear piercing, body piercing or other skin penetration processes).

Visit the Victorian Department of Health website to get more information on notices about scope of registration and client information sheets.

Inspections

Under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, our Environmental Health Officers can inspect any business that is involved with providing health and wellbeing services.

We conduct inspections without giving prior notice, at any time during business trading hours. Our inspections focus on a wide range of issues including:

  • cleanliness of premises and equipment
  • personal hygiene
  • sterilisation processes
  • record keeping.

Registering your health and beauty business

You must register your place of business (premises) with the local council in which it is located.

Exemptions from registering

If your business is operated by and within the scope of practice of a registered health practitioner under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, you may not need to register with the local council.

Registered health practitioners listed below do not need to register their business. All other registered health practitioners, for example physiotherapist or osteopath, must register their business if undertaking skin penetration procedures.

Exempt health professionals

  • Dentists
  • Medical practitioner
  • Nurses or midwives
  • Podiatrists
  • Acupuncturists registered with the Chinese Medicine Board or other registered health practitioner endorsed by their National Board to practice as an acupuncturist
  • Pharmacists for the purposes of administering vaccines (not for other skin penetration practices, for example, ear piercing) 

The registering body for exempt professionals is the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)  For further information please visit the AHPRA website.

Registering a new health and beauty business

When you are ready, complete your registration at the link below:

Register a health and beauty business

Buying and transferring an existing health and beauty business

If you are purchasing a health and beauty business that has an existing business registration, an application must be made to Council to transfer the registration to the new owner of the business.

Find out more at the link below:

Transfer a health and beauty business

Renewing your health and beauty business registration

Operators of health and beauty businesses must renew their business registration each year. An exception applies to Hairdressers who are not required to renew as they have an ongoing registration.

Find out more at the link below:

Renew a health and beauty business registration

Fees and charges

 

Complaints about health and beauty businesses

If you want to make a complaint about a health or beauty business in Nillumbik, please contact:

Environmental Health
Phone: 9433 3340 
Email: nillumbik@nillumbik.vic.gov.au