Wagga City Council to vote on increasing food truck permits for mobile food vendors

Councillors will vote at Monday night's council meeting as to whether the number of mobile food vendor permits should increase by five to 20 and if the permits should be extended by an additional 12 months.

A report written by the council's strategic asset planner, Ben Creighton, recommended the number of food van permits be increased, saying they enliven Wagga's public spaces.

However, Roundabout Roasts owner Brendan Laws said opening the market to more food vans would increase the competition for the limited areas available.

"There's a limited number of spaces you can do it and do it safely," he said.

"Wagga's got some great spots, but if you keep ironing them out they get less and less."

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Good Grind Coffee owner Darren Jackson was one of the first coffee vans to secure a permit, and said he was not against increasing the food trucks as long as the council chose more diverse products.

"If we're going to have another five coffee vans, I don't really see the point," he said.

"Competition is good and I stand by that, but you can also over saturate the market - who does that benefit?"

Wagga councillor Dan Hayes said securing greater food and drink diversity available from the food vans was something he would like to achieve should they increase the permits.

"If there are 20 licences and 18 of them are coffee vans, then they're all in competition with each other," Cr Hayes said.

"But there's also been food truck vendors who have had the licence but haven't been operating much at all."

The mobile food van permit currently allows food vans and trucks to operate on council land.

The program aims to increase community engagement and vibrancy of Wagga's public spaces.

Mr Jackson and Mr Laws said the council should also consider increasing the benefits of holding a permit.

Mr Jackson said he must also pay site fees for council events he attends.

"There's no benefit to having a permit if council is only going to charge you site fees to go to events," he said.

"How do I make money out of that?"

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