In short
Opening a trampoline park or indoor play centre in Australia means confirming your market and site first, then getting planning and building approvals, registering amusement plant under WHS law, building budgets from real quotes, training staff in safety systems, and running a controlled pre-opening period before trading. The right sequence is site, approvals, design, equipment, install, compliance, staff training, then soft opening and review.
Is this the right business for you?
The first question has nothing to do with equipment. It is: do you want to operate a hospitality and safety business with a leisure front end? The purchase order is for trampolines or soft play, but most of your hours will go into rosters, training, cleaning, customer service, marketing, compliance paperwork and fixing things that break.
I usually ask prospective owners three things. One: have you worked in a venue floor role, or at least spent real time observing how one runs during a busy Saturday? Two: do you understand how seasonal this industry is, with school holidays and weekends carrying far more revenue than midweek? Three: are you doing this because you love the activity, or because you can manage the operations? The second answer is the one that survives the first year.
- Operating a venue means managing people, plant and cashflow, not choosing attractions.
- School holidays and weekends drive most trading; weekday demand must be built deliberately.
- Previous hospitality, retail or safety management experience helps more than trampoline enthusiasm.
Site and lease questions that decide viability
Before you buy a single trampoline, the site either makes the venue viable or it does not. The questions that matter are unromantic: ceiling height, column spacing, floor loading, electrical and hydraulic capacity, parking ratios, disability access, fire egress paths, and whether the council planning scheme allows the use at all.
Lease terms can kill a venue faster than a bad attraction mix. You want clear written clarity on permitted use clauses, make-good obligations, signage rights, outgoings caps, and who pays for structural upgrades triggered by a change of use. If the landlord will not give straight answers, or if the agent is pushing you to sign before the planning pathway is confirmed, that is your first red flag. Venue North's /services/operational-design-review can help you stress test a layout before you commit.
- Confirm ceiling height, column grid and clear span before any equipment layout.
- Verify permitted use under the lease and the local planning scheme in writing.
- Understand who pays for fire services, egress, disability access and structural upgrades.
- Do not sign until you know the council's likely change-of-use pathway and timing.
When to walk away from a site
Low ceilings rule out most climbing and high-rope attractions. Columns every five metres turn a trampoline floorplate into a maze. Inadequate parking means parents will not return. If you cannot get a straight answer on planning permissibility from council, walk away. The best supplier in the world cannot fix a site that should never have been chosen.
Approvals and regulators: the state-by-state picture
Indoor play centres, trampoline parks and climbing venues sit across multiple regulatory layers. Work health and safety law treats much of the equipment as plant or amusement devices. Planning law treats the change of use. Building law treats the fit-out. Food safety law treats the cafe. Child safety screening treats the staff who work with children. Each state does it slightly differently, and you need to name the right regulator and instrument for your location.
The WorkSafe WA amusement devices guide states that an amusement device is plant operated for hire or reward, and refers to AS 3533.1:2009 for classification. In Western Australia, the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 and Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 set the framework, with WorkSafe WA as regulator. New South Wales falls under SafeWork NSW and the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, supported by the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017. In Victoria, WorkSafe Victoria administers the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017, with new amusement structure requirements introduced through the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment (Amusement Structure) Regulations 2026.
Queensland uses WorkSafe Queensland under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, with an Amusement Devices Code of Practice 2023 that commenced 1 February 2024. South Australia uses SafeWork SA under the Work Health and Safety Act 2012 and Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012. The ACT uses WorkSafe ACT under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, with planning handled through the Planning Act 2023 and Territory Plan 2023 under the Territory Planning Authority. For a deeper view, see /guides/approvals-and-licences.
- WA: WorkSafe WA; WHS Act 2020 and General Regulations 2022.
- NSW: SafeWork NSW; WHS Act 2011 and WHS Regulation 2017.
- VIC: WorkSafe Victoria; OHS Act 2004, OHS Regulations 2017, Amusement Structure Regulations 2026.
- QLD: WorkSafe Queensland; WHS Act 2011, WHS Regulation 2011, Amusement Devices Code of Practice 2023.
- SA: SafeWork SA; WHS Act 2012, WHS Regulations 2012.
- ACT: WorkSafe ACT; WHS Act 2011, WHS Regulation 2011; Planning Act 2023 and Territory Plan 2023.
Working with children and food
Every state requires child-related workers to hold a working with children check or equivalent: WA calls it a Working with Children Check under the Working with Children (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004, NSW uses the WWCC under the Child Protection (Working with Children) Act 2012, Victoria uses a WWC Clearance under the Working with Children Act 2005, Queensland uses a Blue Card under the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act 2000, SA uses a check through Screening SA, and the ACT uses Working with Vulnerable People registration under the Working with Vulnerable People (Background Checking) Act 2011. Food businesses must register or notify under the relevant Food Act, such as the Food Act 2008 in WA, Food Act 2003 in NSW, Food Act 1984 in Victoria, Food Act 2006 in Queensland, Food Act 2001 in SA and Food Act 2001 in the ACT.
What the venue actually contains and how layout sets the operating model
The mix of attractions decides your staffing model, your session lengths, your age groups and your revenue streams. A trampoline park needs enough court area to spread jumpers safely, but also needs party rooms, a cafe, spectator sightlines and separate toddler zones. An indoor play centre lives or dies on sightlines for parents, toddler containment, cleaning access, party rooms and cafe throughput. A climbing or ninja venue needs fall zones, mat layouts, route setting space and staff positioning.
Layout mistakes are expensive because they are cast in concrete. Party rooms stuck fifty metres from the cafe mean staff waste time walking. A toddler zone placed at the back of the building kills trust with parents. Poor spectator seating means parents leave. Before you lock a floor plan, map the customer journey from car park through entry, briefing, play, food and exit. Venue North's /operational-readiness-audit looks at this journey in detail.
- Attraction mix drives staffing levels, session times and age segmentation.
- Party rooms, cafe and toilets should sit close together, with clear sightlines to play areas.
- Toddler zones and disability access are mandatory trust signals for families.
- Map the full customer journey before finalising the design.
Equipment decisions: what suppliers won't tell you to ask
Equipment suppliers are good at showing you shiny kit. Your job is to ask about compliance, maintenance access, spare parts lead times, replacement padding schedules, and what happens to the warranty if you do your own maintenance. Ask for the manuals before you sign. Ask who carries liability if an installation detail does not match Australian conditions. Ask whether the design is registered with the relevant WHS regulator as an amusement device or plant design where required.
Do not let the supplier define the scope for you. The right questions are: what is the documented inspection regime, what consumables and replacement parts will I need, how do I access a competent person for annual inspections, and what support exists after warranty? If the answer is vague, keep shopping. Venue North takes no commissions and has no preferred supplier list. Our /services/third-party-partnerships advice is built to keep supplier conversations honest.
- Request manuals, spare parts lists and inspection regimes in writing before purchase.
- Confirm whether the design needs plant or amusement device registration in your state.
- Clarify warranty terms, maintenance obligations and liability for non-compliant installation.
- Get independent operational advice before committing to any supplier.
Cost and funding: how to build a budget you can trust
I will be direct: Venue North does not publish figures on this site, and I do not give financial advice. What I can do is explain the cost categories so you know what to put in your spreadsheet. You will have site costs, planning and building approval costs, fit-out and services, equipment purchase and installation, point of sale and booking systems, furniture and fixturing, working capital, pre-opening staff training and marketing, and a contingency.
Build your budget from real quotes, not internet blog posts written overseas. Get three quotes for anything that matters. Put contingency against categories where the final number is uncertain, particularly council delays, building condition surprises and freight. If someone tells you a venue costs a fixed amount per square metre, ask to see the assumptions. The honest answer always depends on the site, the equipment and the approvals path. See /guides/venue-costs for the deeper breakdown.
- Cost categories include site, approvals, fit-out, equipment, systems, working capital and contingency.
- Budget from real quotes, not generic overseas blog figures.
- Carry contingency for delays, building surprises and freight.
- Venue North does not publish figures or give financial advice.
Staffing, training and safety systems before opening day
You cannot start with untrained staff and fix it later. The safety systems need to be in place and understood before the first customer arrives. That means written procedures for attraction entry, session management, injury response, emergency evacuation, equipment pre-operation checks, cleaning and incident reporting. Every staff member who interacts with children needs the right working with children screening for the state. Supervisors need competence in the attractions they oversee.
Training should include induction on your venue's specific rules, practical scenario drills, customer conflict handling, and how to document incidents. Do not assume a supplier orientation video is enough. If you are unsure whether your systems would pass a regulator inspection, /services/compliance-systems can be reviewed before the doors open.
- Written procedures for entry briefing, emergency response and incident reporting are essential.
- State working with children checks must be current and role-appropriate.
- Staff need practical drills, not just supplier induction videos.
- Verify competence before allocating attraction supervision.
Pre-opening: testing, soft opening and what tends to go wrong
The pre-opening phase is where most venues win or lose their reputation. Plan load testing of every attraction with staff and volunteers before the public arrives. Test the booking system under pressure. Run the cafe through a simulated busy session. Check that your entry queue does not back into the car park. Confirm your music and announcements can be heard clearly.
A soft opening with controlled numbers lets you find the real choke points. Common first-week problems include point of sale confusion, session overruns, insufficient cleaning between sessions, party handover timing, staff trapped in wrong zones, and ice machine or POS failures. Fix them now, because social media will fixate on them later. Our /operational-readiness-audit is designed for exactly this window.
- Load test every attraction with staff before public opening.
- Stress test booking, point of sale, cafe and queuing under realistic volumes.
- Run a soft opening with controlled numbers to expose real problems.
- Fix operational issues before social media fixes them for you.
The first ninety days of trading
Treat the first three months as data collection. Track attendance by session, age group, channel, weather and day of week. Watch where customers get stuck, where staff are under pressure, and which attractions are ignored. Talk to parents when things go wrong; they will tell you more than a spreadsheet. Adjust session lengths, pricing tiers, party packages and marketing spend based on what actually happens, not what was forecast.
This is also when you bed down compliance discipline. Keep inspection logs current. Review incident reports weekly. Check that staff are still following the entry briefings and that equipment checks are not being skipped. The habits formed in the first ninety days tend to last the life of the venue.
- Track attendance, source channel, age group and capacity utilisation daily.
- Talk to customers when things go wrong to learn faster.
- Keep inspection logs and incident reviews current from week one.
- Adjust pricing and session structure based on real trading data.
Honest next step
Opening a venue is achievable, but it rewards people who do the boring work first. Get the site and approvals right. Build budgets from quotes. Choose equipment with compliance and maintenance in mind. Train staff properly. Run a controlled pre-opening. Then trade, learn and adjust.
If you want a neutral second set of eyes before you sign the lease or place the order, Venue North can help. We work Australia-wide from Perth. Start with /perth if you are in WA, or /about to understand how I have approached this across trampolines, climbing, ninja, high ropes and indoor play. Our /services/project-establishment service supports owners through the full project setup journey.
Questions operators ask
Who can help me open a trampoline park in Australia?
You may need a planner or certifier for approvals, an engineer for structural and plant matters, an independent leisure operations adviser for layout and safety systems, and your own legal and financial professionals. Venue North provides independent operational and compliance advice, but does not replace qualified legal, engineering or financial advice.
How long does it take to open an indoor play centre?
Time depends on the site, council assessment path and equipment lead times. Planning and building approvals can take weeks or months, and fabrication, freight and install can add more. Build your schedule from confirmed quotes and council response times, not from online estimates.
Do I need a consultant to open a trampoline park?
Not by law, but experience helps. Many first-time operators underestimate planning, plant registration, safety systems and staff training. An independent adviser can flag the questions you do not yet know to ask, especially around compliance and operational design.
What licences are needed to open a play centre in Australia?
You typically need planning and building approvals, possible plant or amusement device registration with the relevant WHS regulator, food business registration or notification, and working with children checks for staff. The exact requirements vary by state and by what attractions and services you offer.
What approvals do I need for an indoor play centre in Western Australia?
In WA, expect change-of-use planning approval under the Planning and Development Act 2005, building classification or occupancy permit considerations, possible WorkSafe WA amusement device registration under the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022, Working with Children Checks, and registration as a food business under the Food Act 2008.
Who inspects trampoline parks in Australia?
Regulators such as WorkSafe WA, SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe Victoria, WorkSafe Queensland, SafeWork SA and WorkSafe ACT oversee plant and amusement device duties. Annual inspections of amusement devices must be carried out by a competent person, and the regulator may also inspect workplaces.
What Australian Standards apply to trampoline parks?
WorkSafe WA's amusement devices guide references AS 3533.1:2009 for the classification of amusement devices. Trampoline-specific standards work includes AS 5159.1 and AS 5159.2:2026, on which I am a contributing author. Climbing and ninja structures are also supported by Standards Australia committees.
What is the biggest mistake new operators make?
The biggest mistake is buying equipment before the site and approvals are locked down. Layout, ceiling height, floors, egress, parking and planning permissibility can make some attractions impossible or unprofitable. Lock the site first, then design around it.
Does Venue North publish cost figures for opening a venue?
No. Venue North does not publish prices or opening cost figures, and I do not give financial advice. I help owners understand cost categories, build budgets from quotes, and identify where contingency is needed.
Can I do the compliance work myself?
You can do some of it, but you need to know when to bring in experts. Planning and building approvals typically require qualified professionals. Plant and amusement device registration, annual inspections and structural matters require competent persons or registered engineers. Venue North can review your systems and point you to gaps.
Sources
- WorkSafe WA - Amusement devices guide for local government. https://www.worksafe.wa.gov.au/amusement-devices-guide-local-government
- WorkSafe WA, work health and safety laws in Western Australia. https://www.worksafe.wa.gov.au/work-health-and-safety-laws
- SafeWork NSW - Amusement devices. https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/hazards-a-z/amusement-devices
- NSW Legislation - Work Health and Safety Act 2011. https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2011-10
- WorkSafe Victoria - New requirements for amusement rides. https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/new-requirements-amusement-rides
- Vic Legislation - Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/in-force/acts/occupational-health-and-safety-act-2004
- WorkSafe Queensland - Amusement device regulation. https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/laws-and-compliance/work-health-and-safety-laws/amusement-device-regulation
- QLD Legislation - Work Health and Safety Act 2011. https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2011-018
- SafeWork SA - Plant registrations. https://safework.sa.gov.au/licence-and-registration/apply-renew/plant-registrations
- SA Legislation - Work Health and Safety Act 2012. https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/lz?path=/C/A/Work+Health+and+Safety+Act+2012
- WorkSafe ACT - Plant guidance. https://www.worksafe.act.gov.au/health-and-safety-portal/safety-by-industry/building-and-construction/plant
- ACT Legislation - Work Health and Safety Act 2011. https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/2011-35/
- ACT Legislation - Planning Act 2023. https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/a/2023-18/
- Standards Australia - AS 3533.1:2009 Amusement rides and devices. https://www.standards.org.au