TAS Selling, Home Business & Farm-Stay Rules: What the State Actually Sets

Tasmania has one of the more precisely tiered egg-selling thresholds of any state, and home business and farm-stay both sit as defined Use Classes under the same statewide Tasmanian Planning Scheme already covered in our TAS Land & Water and Power & Wastewater articles. This article covers what the state actually sets for each, before your specific council's Local Provisions Schedule layers on top.

Tasmania's approach to home business and farm-stay is consistent with the statewide planning pattern already covered elsewhere in this series for TAS, while its egg-selling threshold is more precisely tiered than most other states. Each is covered as its own section below.

Selling produce: notification, risk classification, and a tiered egg threshold

Under the Food Act 2003 and Food Regulations 2022, all food businesses must notify their local council before starting, and council assigns a risk classification (low, medium or high) based on the food type and handling method. Lower-risk businesses need only notify; higher-risk businesses also need annual registration, with an inspection before a Certificate of Registration is issued.

Tasmania's egg-selling rules are more precisely tiered than most states: producers selling under 20 dozen eggs a week don't need formal accreditation, an annual food safety audit, or associated fees, but must still formally notify and register with Biosecurity Tasmania, and comply with egg stamping and labelling requirements. Below that again, backyard producers with fewer than 20 egg-producing birds, selling or bartering only occasionally to friends, family or neighbours, are fully exempt from the Egg Food Safety Scheme altogether. Meat is regulated separately again, under Biosecurity Tasmania's Meat and Poultry Food Safety Scheme.

Home business: a Permitted use class in rural and residential zones

Home-based business is a defined Use Class under the statewide Tasmanian Planning Scheme — the same scheme already covered in our TAS Land & Water and Power & Wastewater articles for shed exemptions and wastewater approval. In the Rural, Agriculture, and Rural Living zones, a home-based business is generally listed as Permitted (not simply "No Permit Required") provided it operates from an existing dwelling — meaning a planning permit application is still needed, but approval is effectively guaranteed if that condition is met, rather than being assessed at council's discretion.

Farm-stay & visitor accommodation: a home-sharing exemption, and support in rural zones

Visitor accommodation is also a defined Use Class under the Tasmanian Planning Scheme, and cellar door sales, farm produce sales and farm stays are specifically recognised as appropriate, value-adding uses within the Rural and Agriculture zones, alongside the primary agricultural use. A useful exemption applies to sharing bedrooms within your own home as visitor accommodation — in residential zones, this can be exempt from needing a planning permit at all, provided it's within an existing dwelling and doesn't add more than 300m² of floor area. In the Rural Resource Zone specifically, a bed and breakfast establishment, holiday cabin, camping and caravan park, or seasonal workers' accommodation are all recognised visitor accommodation types, though most still require a permit.

An important disclaimer, worth taking seriously

The Food Act 2003 risk classification system, the egg-selling thresholds, and the Tasmanian Planning Scheme's Use Class definitions are all verifiable, state-wide facts. But your specific council's food business registration process, and how your council's Local Provisions Schedule treats your specific home business or visitor accommodation proposal, depend on your specific circumstances. Confirm directly with your council before starting a food business, home business, or farm-stay operation.

Frequently Asked Questions