A dozen Canberra businesses have been forced to close their doors due to significant food safety violations over the past six months, with pest management issues identified as a major contributing factor by concerned health authorities.
Health Directorate Takes Action Against Non-Compliance
Between July and December 2025, the ACT Health Directorate issued Prohibition Orders that resulted in the temporary closure of twelve Canberra establishments. This follows a record-breaking 2024-25 financial year during which twenty-six venues were shut down for similar food safety breaches.
During the first half of the 2025-26 financial year, health officials conducted an extensive 1,349 inspections across the territory's food businesses. These inspections led to the issuance of 111 Improvement Notices, highlighting widespread compliance issues that require immediate attention.
'Pests Are a Reality' in Canberra Community
Victor Martin, Executive Branch Manager of the ACT Health Protection Service, emphasized that pest management has become one of the key concerns for health officials. "What we are finding is where we are issuing a prohibition order, oftentimes, not always, there's an issue with pest management," Mr. Martin explained.
"Pests are a reality in our community, regardless of whether it's in a food business or in people's homes," he continued. "The challenge for food businesses is that they're meeting their obligations to be on top of what they need to do to manage the pest situation that they have."
Mr. Martin noted that certain areas of Canberra face more significant challenges with rodents and other insects than others, creating varying levels of difficulty for businesses trying to maintain compliance.
Common Violations and High-Profile Cases
According to a Health Directorate spokesperson, eight food businesses received multiple notices during the second half of 2025. Two establishments were issued two Improvement Notices each, while six others received both an Improvement Notice and a Prohibition Order.
The most frequent food safety compliance breaches included inadequate food safety knowledge among handlers, insufficient hand-washing facilities, poor cleaning practices, improper temperature control and maintenance, and a lack of appropriate pest control measures.
Among the notable closures during this period were Public pub in Manuka, which was shut down for two days just one week before Christmas, and the popular banh mi destination The Vietnamese Bakery & Cafe in Fyshwick, which faced closure in August. The specific reasons for these individual closures have not been publicly disclosed.
Increasing Closure Durations and Business Challenges
Mr. Martin observed that Canberra has experienced steady growth in the number of food businesses operating throughout the city. "People are using food businesses, they're going out to eat out of home and maybe that's a function of the growth in population and disposable income," he suggested.
"There's more competition between food businesses, but also competition for staff, and all of those factors together may have an impact," Mr. Martin added, highlighting the complex challenges facing the hospitality sector.
The average closure duration for food venues ordered shut by the ACT Health Directorate showed a slight increase between July and December 2025. Closure periods ranged from two to seventy-two days, with an average of 30.6 days. This compares to the previous financial year when closures lasted between two and 120 days, averaging 28.3 days.
Record Enforcement Activity in Recent Years
The 2024-25 financial year marked a dramatic escalation in enforcement actions, with twenty-six Prohibition Orders issued compared to just seven during the previous year. This represents a substantial increase in regulatory activity by health authorities.
Throughout that same period, the directorate conducted 2,472 inspections and issued 198 Improvement Notices. Some businesses received as many as seven separate notices, indicating persistent compliance issues.
Community Reporting Encouraged
While many violations are discovered during routine inspections by health officials, Mr. Martin also encouraged community members to report concerns about food venues. "We don't want people to be out there [like] the cops on the beat, that's not what we're trying to do," he clarified.
"But if something doesn't feel right, we do want to hear about it," Mr. Martin emphasized, suggesting that public vigilance can complement official oversight efforts.
The increasing number of closures and extended shutdown periods reflect growing regulatory scrutiny as Canberra's food service industry expands. Health authorities continue to emphasize the importance of proper pest management alongside other critical food safety practices to protect public health.
