Bacon Sandwiches, Sausage Sizzles and Red Tape

On Saturday the 5^th of October 2024, a friend and I were visiting Melbourne when we decided to attend an anti ACMA bill protest being held on that day. Upon arrival, I noticed a sausage sizzle but was disappointed to find there were no bacon sandwiches, just sausages in bread.

Later I went up to the stall to suggest they add bacon sandwiches to their next sausage sizzle. I was informed that bacon sandwiches required separate permits to sell at community events, with the bacon sandwich permit being more difficult to obtain.

I walked away feeling slightly annoyed that I could not buy a bacon sandwich because of some stupid government rule. It may not be the worst of government transgressions, but it is certainly a great example of regulations and red tape having an inconvenient effect on everyday life. 

Although some council bureaucrats responded to my question in a manner that easily answered my question

Upon returning to my home city of Adelaide, I decided to contact a range of councils in South Australia and the rest of Australia to see how common it is to require separate permits to sell sausages and bacon sandwiches. I contacted all the councils below on the 8^th of October 2024.

Below is the following enquiry I sent them: 

“Hello,

I was just wondering, if I were to organise a community event or help organise a community event such as a community footy game or even a protest, would I require separate permits to sell both sausages in bread and bacon sandwiches at a stand or would I be able to sell both sausages in bread and bacon sandwiches on the same permit? 

Thank you  

Jessica Colby.”

Although some council bureaucrats responded to my question in a manner that easily answered my question, some did not, and some were even unsure whether bacon or sausage sandwiches could be sold under the same permit as if this was an extremely difficult question.

Many responded mentioning event permits. I would reply to these emails asking whether I would be able to sell bacon sandwiches and sausages in bread under the same permit or would I require separate permits. Some did eventually answer my question although that wasn’t always the case. 

Some gave answers that were confusing and even contradictory. A few would direct me to other people or tell me to contact some government health organisation and say they were unsure. A few insisted on speaking on the phone rather than email and one even told me to contact some other authority about getting other permits before they would further discuss my question.

I believe that this example illustrates how red tape unnecessarily restricts our everyday lives and makes things that should be simple more complicated than they need to be. Explaining how government overreach affects our lives at the daily level is a great way to mobilise the community against government overreach. 

Below I have created a chart of council areas in South Australia and around Australia showing my attempts to interpret the responses I received from council bureaucrats as of the 18^th of October 2024. 

Yes: Separate permits required to sell bacon sandwiches and sausages in bread.

Bacon sandwiches required separate permits to sell at community events

No: Bacon sandwiches and sausages in bread can be sold under the same permit.

Inc: This covers a range of responses including an unclear answer, or I found confusing, no clear response or I was directed to someone else. This also includes responses where I asked them to clarify their response, and was still waiting on a further response as of the 18^th of October 2024.

NR: No response as of the 18^th of October 2024 other than automated replies and updates that my enquiry was being transferred to some other council representative to answer it.

N/A: Turns out Sydney does not permit food to be sold at community events or protests. 

Council Area	State	Separate permit required to serve bacon sandwiches and sausages in bread	Notes
City of Adelaide	SA	Inc
City of Burnside	SA	No	Must be under same marque or kitchen to use same permit to be covered under same notification
City of Campbeltown	SA	Inc	Told to contact Eastern Health Authority
City of Charles Sturt	SA	Inc	Likely yes
Town of Gawler	SA	No
Town of Walkerville	SA	NR
Adelaide Hills Council	SA	Inc	Given a list of people to contact

City of Marion	SA	No
City of Mitcham	SA	Inc	Likely yes but not 100% sure
City of Norwood, Payneham & St Peters	SA	NR
City of Onkaparinga	SA	No
City of Playford	SA	Inc
City of Prospect	SA	Inc
City of Salisbury	SA	No
City of Tea Tree Gully	SA	No

City of Unley	SA	No
City of West Torrens	SA	No
Mid Murrey Council	SA	No
City of Port Augusta	SA	No
City of Port Lincoln	SA	No
Flinders Ranges Council	SA	No
District Council of Mount Barker	SA	No	As long as all the food sold at the stall is listed on the one application form, only one permit will be required for all.
Berri Barmera Council	SA	NR

District Council of Loxton Waikerie	SA	NR
District Council of Grant	SA	NR
Roxby Council	SA	No	Need FBN number
City of Hobart	TAS	No
Tasman Council	TAS	No
North Canberra Community Council	ACT	Inc	Told to contact Access Canberra
City of Darwin	NT	Inc	Told to contact Northern Territory Health Department
Alice Springs Town Council	NT	Inc	Was told to contact NTG Health as the council officer was unsure on the specifics of whether both can be cooked under the same permit.

City of Perth	WA	NR
City of Bunbury	WA	No
City of Greater Geraldton	WA	No
City of Rockingham	WA	No	Sausage sizzles need one permit that includes both bacon sandwiches and sausages in bread
Shire of Broome	WA	No
Brisbane City Council	QLD	No
Sunshine Coast Council	QLD	NR
Cairnes Regional Council	QLD	NR

City of Townsville	QLD	No	Need a separate permit for every separate food stand
City of Melbourne	VIC	Yes
Yarra City Council	VIC	No
Maribyrnong City Council	VIC	Yes
Whitehorse City Council	VIC	NR
City of Greater Geelong	VIC	NR
City of Greater Bendigo	VIC	No
West Wimmera Shire Council	VIC	Yes

Mildura Rural City Council	VIC	NR
City of Sydney	NSW	N/A	Food cannot be sold be sold at community events or protests in Sydney
Georges River Council	NSW	Inc
Waverly Council	NSW	Inc
City of Wagga Wagga	NSW	No
Broken Hill City Council	NSW	No
City of Wollongong	NSW	No
Dubbo Regional Council	NSW	Inc	Was told in the final email that ‘there is no such thing as a permit’ ???