The answer comes down to one thing: whose land the truck will be parked on. Here is how it actually works across Sydney and NSW, in plain English.
Key Takeaways
If your event is on private property, no council approval is needed. You book the truck, we turn up, we serve, we pack down.
If your event is on public land, a park, a reserve, a street or a footpath, the event needs council approval before anyone can trade there. In NSW that is a Section 68 approval, issued by the council that manages the land. Nobody can simply pull up on public land and start serving.
One honest note before we get into it: approval times vary council to council, so treat this guide as the practical picture and check with the council that manages the land for the fine print.
An office car park. A warehouse yard. School grounds. A church car park. Your own backyard. If the land is private and the owner is happy for us to be there, that is the whole approval process done.
What we actually need from a private site is simple. A flat, safe spot with room for the truck: ours range from 7 m to 11.5 m long and 2.5 m wide, with about 2 m clear on either side to serve. Overhead clearance of 3.7 m or more is favourable, which is why underground car parks are out. Nothing else is required from the venue, because every truck is fully self contained with its own generator, gas and water.
Not sure if your spot works? Drop a Google pin and send it through, and we will check the spot on Google Maps for you. A good recent example is the Anzac Park Public School fete, where about 1,500 people were fed on school grounds with no council paperwork involved, because school grounds are private property.
Parks, reserves, streets and footpaths are public land managed by the local council, and trading there needs a Section 68 approval under the NSW Local Government Act. In plain terms, it is the council saying yes to your event using their land, including food trucks being part of it.
The event organiser applies to the council that manages that specific piece of land. Allow two to six weeks for it to come through, and the wait varies council to council, so it is worth starting the moment your date firms up.
You will not be doing it alone. Our trucks are council approved with many NSW councils, and we help you sort the paperwork rather than leave it with you: the insurance certificate, food safety details and whatever else the council asks for from the catering side.
There is a third category that catches people out: land that is private but managed, like a shopping centre car park, a university campus or a hired venue. No council approval is needed, but the centre or venue sets its own rules, so their sign off replaces the council's. Most centres have a loading dock, service yard or section of car park that works well, and we coordinate access and conditions with their management as part of the booking.
On private property, you can book with confidence at short notice. The fastest genuine turnaround we have pulled off is 24 hours, and our last minute catering page covers how that works.
On public land, let the approval set your timeline. It usually takes two to six weeks to come through, so the earlier you start, the smoother the lead up to your event.
Either way, the first step is the same: tell us where the event is. We will tell you which category your site falls into and what, if anything, needs approving. Our locations pages cover the areas we serve across Sydney, and food truck hire explains how a booking works from start to finish. For everything else, from pricing to guest numbers, our food truck catering FAQ has the answers.
No. Private property needs no council approval for food truck catering. An office car park, a warehouse yard, school grounds, a church car park or your own backyard: if it is private land and the owner is happy, we can book it in and turn up.
It is the approval a NSW council issues under the Local Government Act for trading from a food truck on public land, like a park, reserve, street or footpath. The event organiser applies to the council that manages the land, and timing varies council to council.
Usually two to six weeks, and it varies council to council. If your event is on public land, start the approval as early as you can. We help with the paperwork and provide what the council needs from our side, like insurance and food safety details.
No. Every truck is fully self contained with its own generator, gas and water. We arrive, set up, serve and pack down without plugging into anything.
Our trucks range from 7 m to 11.5 m long, 2.5 m wide and 3.5 m tall, with about 2 m clear on either side to serve. Overhead clearance of 3.7 m or more is favourable, and underground car parks are out. Send us a Google pin of your spot and we will check it on Google Maps.
Often, yes. Because private property needs no approval, the fastest genuine turnaround we have pulled off is 24 hours. Public land is different: the council approval sets the timeline, so allow a few weeks for that.
Reviewed by
John-ray Boukarim
John-ray Boukarim is the founder and operator of The Food Hub, Sydney's multi cuisine food truck catering fleet. Since founding the business in 2016, he has grown the operation from a single truck to a fleet of four, delivering more than 1,500 events across Sydney, New South Wales, and regional NSW. His clients include Woolworths, Commonwealth Bank, Bunnings, Costco, Amazon, Sony, and Toyota. The Food Hub is built for high volume service, usually serving guests in under 60 seconds per order depending on the menu. All articles on this site are reviewed by John-ray for operational accuracy and relevance.
Last reviewed: 5 August 2026
Send us your date, your numbers and a pin of where you want the truck. We will tell you what the site needs, help with any paperwork, and come back with a clear quote, usually within the hour in business hours.
Site checked for you
Send a Google pin and we confirm the spot works
Paperwork help
Council approved with many NSW councils, insurance and food safety documents ready
Fully self contained
Own power, gas and water, nothing needed from the venue
Min. 60 guests for deployment.
Usually a reply within the hour. Keep an eye on your inbox.