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Approval is required from Health Services to conduct a personal appearance/beauty therapy business. An Environmental Health Officer will assess your application to determine if your proposed premises are suitable for the use of a personal appearance/beauty therapy business.

Your application must include:

• all the procedures you intend to undertake;
• a completed Personal Appearance Procedures Notification Form;
• a detailed cleaning/maintenance schedule;
• proposed disinfection/sterilisation techniques; and
• a floor plan detailing all structure and furniture surface finishes, the location of fittings, furniture and sinks.

Please be aware that for skin penetration procedures, a hands-free handwash basin must be available in the immediate vicinity where these procedures are undertaken. 

Additional information can be accessed from the Department of Health WAopens in a new window website.

The Code of Practice for Skin Penetration Procedures 1998opens in a new window is available to be viewed on the Department of Health website.

Changes to legislation have meant that hairdressing and barber activities are no longer required to be registered or routinely inspected by the City’s Health Services.

Hairdressing and barber operators are now captured by the general public health duty of the Public Health Act 2016, and must take all reasonable and practicable steps to prevent or minimise any harm to public health that might foreseeably result from anything done or omitted to be done by a person.

The Department of Health has released a Guideline for the management of public health risks associated with the hairdressing and barber industry which aims to:

• Provide practical advice to assist the hairdressing industry to meet their obligations under the general public health duty specified in Part 3 of the Public Health Act 2016; and
• Promote a high standard of hygiene and infection prevention and control to ensure hairdressing services prevent the spread of blood-borne viruses and other infections to their clients.

While the City’s Health Services will no longer conduct routine inspections of hairdressing or barber premises, it will respond to any public complaints received and take any action as necessary under the Act.

The Public Health Act 2016 can be viewed on the Department of Justice website.

Buildings or places in buildings in which the public may gather for social, theatrical or entertainment purposes such as cinemas, party rooms, amusement venues and the like, requires registration with Health Services as a public building.

To make an application the City requires:

• completed Application to Construct, Extend or Alter Public Building;
• floor plan showing;
  • size dimensions/floor area of each room used as public space;
  • permanent fixtures/fittings (chairs, tables, stages, etc.);
  • location and quantity of toilet/s; 
  • location and widths of designated emergency exits; and
  • information in regards to the ventilation of the building.

An Occupancy Permit must be obtained from the City before any commercial building can be occupied.

It covers circumstances such as:

• occupying a completed new building or a new part of an existing building;
• occupying an incomplete building or part of a building on a temporary basis;
• modifying the current occupancy permit for additional use of a building on a temporary basis;
• occupying a building or part of a building that has undergone a permanent change of use or classification;
• authorising and occupying an unauthorised building or an unauthorised part of a building; and
• authorising a building with existing approval with a new or replacement occupancy permit. This demonstrates that an existing building complies with the relevant building standards and is safe to occupy.

An Occupancy Permit application must be accompanied by:

• Certificate of Construction Compliance (BA17) for new buildings including new additions to existing buildings or a Certificate of Building Compliance (BA18) for existing buildings, signed by an independent building surveyor.

Occupancy Permit applications can be emailed to customer@rockingham.wa.gov.au or lodged in person at our Administration Office located at Civic Boulevard, Rockingham.

Visit the Building Commission website to access all building permit application forms you need to submit to us.

We are happy to discuss your project before you commence the process so you are clear on what you need to do. Please lodge a small business enquiryopens in a new window to request a meeting.

Building Commission websiteopens in a new window

Hairdressing and beauty therapy

Prior to commencing operation, an inspection will need to be undertaken to ensure the premises meets the required standards.  When you are ready to commence operations, please contact Health Services on 9528 0333 or via email to customer@rockingham.wa.gov.au to arrange for this inspection – please allow 48 hours for the inspection to be scheduled.

Ongoing routine inspections will be conducted once the business is operational to ensure that suitable standards are maintained.

Public buildings

Once the building construction is complete, the below forms are required to be submitted and an inspection of the facility is undertaken.

On successful completion of a facility inspection, the Maximum Accommodation Certificate/s will be issued and operations can commence.

Routine inspections of public buildings are undertaken by Health Services to ensure these buildings are being maintained to suitable standards. Operators of public buildings may self-check they are operating as required by ensuring:

• the number of people at any one time never exceeds the Maximum Accommodation Certificate;
• any emergency lighting and exit signage is operational and routinely checked/serviced;
• all exit doors are unobstructed and can be easily operated;
• all fire control devices are serviced in accordance with AS 1851;
• all toilet facilities are clean and in a good state of repair;
• no items such as power cords/cables pose a trip hazard; and
• air handling systems are adequately maintained and serviced.