This section includes information on a range of permits and approval processes related to organising events. Please note this is just a guide and other permits may apply. 
The processes included in this section are:

• Liquor Licence Permit 
• Provision of Food and/or Temporary Food Event Permit 
• Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) & Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) Permits 
• Roadside Promotional Boards Permit 
• Temporary Banning of Dogs, Alcohol and other items 
• Fireworks and Pyrotechniques displays 
• Road and Footpath Closure Permits 

Liquor Licence Permit 
If you are selling or providing alcohol at an event you will require a permit. Permits for sale or consumption of alcohol are issued from the South Australia Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation. The process for obtaining a licence can take up to 8 weeks. You will need to develop a management plan to avoid the supply of alcohol to minors and ensure that the responsible service of alcohol must be in accordance with the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998. 
If you decide to have alcohol at your event and are successful in obtaining a licence you need to plan for the effects of alcohol consumption. These include:

• Extra toilets 
• Additional First aid for injuries, intoxicated patrons and dehydration 
• Security for disturbances caused by intoxicated patrons 

In your event plan include a copy of the Liquor Licence Permit and any additional resources you may require in order to hold a safe and responsible event. 

Consumption of liquor or possession in unsealed container and behaviour near licensed premises 
A person must not, without a Permit, on a Road, any Council Land or any open space to which the public have access: 
consume or ingest any Liquor; or 
have in his or her possession a bottle, can, wine cask or other receptacle, which contains Liquor and has been opened. 

​PENALTY: MAXIMUM TWENTY (20) PENALTY UNITS

Clause does not apply:
to a person in licensed premises or authorised premises under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998; 
or 
where the consumption of Liquor is taking place at an organised function conducted with Proper Authority or as part of a picnic with family and/or friends within a Municipal Reserve, provided that no nuisance is caused to other persons in the area and the persons concerned leave the area in a clean and tidy condition afterwards.

Provision of Food and/or Temporary Food Event Permit 
Please see the above Provision of Food for details on Food and/or Temporary Food Event Permits.

Australasian Performing Rights Association Permits (APRA) 
Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) 
Entertainers at any event or festival performing songs that are not their own original songs must obtain a permit from the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) prior to the event. Contact APRA on: 

• Australasian Performing Rights Association 
• www.apra.com.au 

Allow one month for this process and make sure you adjust your budget accordingly as a permit fee will apply.

If you're using recorded music or music videos to enhance your event in any way, then you will usually need a licence and permission from the copyright holder to do so. 
Examples of such uses include: 

• Playing protected recorded music in public 
• Screening music videos in public 
• Playing protected recorded music and/or radio to your phone customers on hold 
• Broadcasting recorded music over the radio or TV 
• Broadcasting music videos on TV 

Contact PPCA: 

• Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) 
  
• www.ppca.com.au 
• licensing.mail@ppca.com.au

Allow one month for this process and make sure you adjust your budget accordingly as a permit fee will apply.

Roadside Promotional Boards Permit 
Approval is required from Council to erect signage for promotional purposes around the municipality on any Council owned land. 
If you wish to erect promotional signs on private property (residential or business) you will need to seek the permission of the landowner. The following addresses the size and duration requirements: 

• A sign with an advertisement area not exceeding a 5 square metres publicising a local educational, cultural, political, religious, social or recreational event not held for commercial purposes. Only one sign may be displayed on the land, it must not be an animated or internally illuminated sign and it must not be displayed longer than 14 days after the event is held or 3 months from its creation, whichever is sooner. A sign publicising a local political event may include information about a candidate for an election. 
• A sign publicising a special event on the land or in the building on which it is displayed, provided no more than 8 signs are displayed in a calendar year and the total number of days the signs are displayed does not exceed 28 in that calendar year. The sign must be removed when the event is finished. 

Temporary Banning of Dogs, Alcohol and other items 
In order to hold an event in a safe and responsible environment it may be necessary to apply for a temporary ban of dogs, alcohol and other items. 
Council owned land may already have particular bans in place and it is worth checking this prior to confirming your arrangements. 

Fireworks and Pyrotechniques Displays 
If you are planning on having Fireworks and/or Pyrotechniques Displays at your event you must contact the Council Community Events Officer

Road and Footpath Closure Permits 
If you are planning on closing any road or footpath approval is required from Council’s engineering department. 
Traffic Management Plans including any road or footpath approval require approval from Council’s Engineering department. 
​
The following items are required when applying for a Road and/or Footpath Closure Permit: 

• Current Public Liability Insurance 
• Traffic Management Plan (incorporating a risk assessment) 
• Written notification to affected businesses/residents/public transport providers if applicable 
• Notification to Emergency Services of possible detours or expected significant delays. 

Whether you are running an indoor or outdoor event, a detailed site plan must be completed. You may find that a number of maps are required such as a general information map, access map and evacuation/emergency map. The following is a suggested list of items that should be clearly located on the map. The items underlined are essential for all events and must be included:

• Proposed road closures (outdoor) 
• Parking 
• Accessible parking 
• Emergency access route (outdoor) 
• Vehicle access routes 
• Lighting 
• Stalls - food, businesses, crafts etc 
• Staging - main performance areas 
• Location of litter bins 
• Information stand 
• Entrances & exits 
• Accessible pathways 
• First Aid locations 
• Toilets 
• Accessible toilets 
• Power 
• Drinking water taps 
• Liquor licensed areas (if applicable) 
• Fire extinguisher equipment 
• Lost children (if applicable) 
• Event amusements & attractions 
• Placement of rubbish and recycling bins 

It is useful to have this information at your event on a map for visitors or on boards, particularly if it is a major event and covers a reasonably large area or if there are different precinct areas. It will also assist in providing an ‘Access for All’ event if your make your site map available prior to the event clearly marking accessible elements of your site.

When deciding upon layout, think about how different areas and attractions will complement each other. The layout of your event whether it is indoor or outdoor can provide a different experience for your audience. The following is a list of suggestions to consider when deciding your layout:

• Food areas should be in sections where people can make the most of the entertainment/program. 
• Toilets, water and First Aid should be located in prominent and accessible locations. 
• Accessible parking needs to be clearly marked and managed during the event. Accessible pathways need to link the parking area to the event site. 
• Allow space in your layout for people to congregate. You do not want to create areas where there is risk to the audience due to over crowding. 
• If you are organising an outdoor event, consider the use of natural shade and plan your activities in those locations so that the audience can participate in a safe environment. 
• If you are using equipment that requires power, locate them close to the power source whether it be mains power or through a generator. You need to manage the risk of power cords in areas where the public can access and walk. 

In the section of your event plan, include a copy of the site map.

The Event Plan includes two main sections: the Event Detail and the Risk Management Plan. The Event Detail will include all event management information that is listed in the check list below. This will assist you to create your key document throughout the entire event process and act as a planning tool, a working document and a constant point of reference. Event Title, dates, duration 

• Date
  • When setting a date for the event consider:
    
    •  Venue availability
      
    • Availability of key speakers
      
    • External factors/key dates – e.g. public holidays, parliamentary sittings, other events and time of year (towards the end of the year, people’s diaries can get full). 
      
• Location including accessibility 
• Program Overview – aims, objectives/purpose and audience 
• Event Team
  • Based on the event brief, consider who you need in the event team to make your event a success. Consider: 
    
    • Your Team
    • Key Stakeholders
    • Event Management companies such as Weslo Events
    • External suppliers
    • Arrange a team meeting and discuss how the event should be run and each individual team members’ role.
• Timetable/running sheet 
• Event Timelines 
• Contractors – Event Managers such as Weslo Events caterers, rides etc 
• Budget
  • Key considerations when forming a budget include: 
    • Advertising /invitations 
    • Event guest gifts/promotional items 
    • Distributing invitations 
    • Catering 
    • Event signage – e.g. banners, directional signage 
    • Theming 
    • Videography 
    • Photography 
    • Speaker fees 
    • Entertainment. 
• Layout & site map including additional infrastructure 
• Toilets – including accessibility 
• Water 
• Power 
• Signage 
• Traffic Management -transport and car parking 
• Insurance 
• Security 
• Weather 
• Permits (if applicable) 
• Liquor License Permit 
• Provision of Food and/or Temporary Food Event Permit 
• Australasian Performing Rights Association Permits (APRA) 
• Roadside Promotional Boards Permit 
• Temporary Banning of Dogs, Alcohol and other items 
• Fireworks and Pyrotechnics Displays