Mobile food vendors in the Murraylands will soon have more opportunities to trade, with the Rural City of Murray Bridge (RCMB) adopting a new policy aimed at making it easier for food trucks to operate in more locations.
The new Mobile Food Vendor Policy and Management Guidelines follow a four-month trial that allowed vendors to operate at sites including Johnstone Park, Long Island Reserve, Sturt Reserve, the Murray Bridge Railway Station car park, Avoca Dell Reserve, Woodlane Reserve at Mypolonga and Monarto Hall.
Council says the trial received strong support from both operators and the community, with mobile food vendor permits increasing by 40 per cent compared with the same period the previous year. January alone recorded a 75 per cent increase in permits.
Under the new policy, the previous fixed list of approved locations has been removed, allowing applications to be assessed on factors including safety, amenity and potential impacts on nearby businesses.
The guidelines also introduce a 200-metre separation requirement from fixed food businesses selling the same products and allow vendors to remain at a single location for up to 24 hours under seasonal operating arrangements.
The policy was officially endorsed by council last month, marking the end of a review process that began in late 2024.
The RCMB will now move into the implementation phase, supporting vendors through the updated permit process while encouraging more activity in public spaces across the region.
