Information for Fireworks Retailers

Legislation

All persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) have a primary duty of care to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others.

A retailer of shopgoods fireworks has additional duties under the Dangerous Goods Regulations 1985.

Action needed prior to sale on Territory Day:

  • Retailers are to ensure their storage premises comply with the legislation
  • Complete a risk assessment; a template and How to manage work health and safety risks Code of Practice is available to assist retailers. The code provides practical guidance to conducting a risk assessment.
  • Complete and obtain a (retail) licence to possess, store and sell shopgoods fireworks application form. The application form, supporting documents, and scheduled fee (found on the application) should be lodged at a Territory Business Centre. Applications should be lodged not later than Friday 12 June to allow sufficient time for processing and site inspections.
  • A list of approved wholesalers for Territory Day 2026 is available here.
  • No prior sales, whether by payment or by vouchers/coupons including on-line sales, are to take place.

Retail permit

Retail application forms are provided by an approved wholesaler. Please refer to the list of approved wholesalers for further information.

Completed applications must be submitted to the Territory Business Centre for processing and payment. Applications must include all required supporting documentation, including:

  • Proof of age and contact details for all nominated responsible persons
  • An emergency plan, including:
    • Contact details of the site’s responsible person
    • Muster points
    • Firefighting equipment
    • Emergency exits
    • Storage arrangements
  • A site plan showing:
    • Where fireworks will be stored and sold
    • The control measures in place to prevent public access to fireworks

Prior to the Territory Day celebrations, NT WorkSafe Inspectors will conduct inspections of retail premises to ensure compliance and safe sale of fireworks. The nominated responsible person listed on the application must be available at the time of inspection and on the approved day(s) of sale.

Sales period for retails outlets is 9 am to 9 pm on Wednesday 1 July 2026. All remaining unsold fireworks stock is to be returned to the wholesaler.

Retail Fireworks Information Sessions

The following information sessions will help fireworks retailers understand the compliance requirements for selling fireworks on Territory Day, 1 July 2026.

Retailer are encouraged to register for one of the following information sessions.

Site Inspections

NT WorkSafe Inspectors conduct retail site inspections prior to Territory Day.

A licence may be issued by NT WorkSafe prior to an inspection based on the information provided on the application and the risk assessment.

Approved Periods

The following are the approved periods for Territory Day Celebrations:

  • sell shopgoods fireworks between 9 am to 9 pm on Wednesday 1 July 2026
  • throw, ignite or explode shopgoods fireworks between 6 pm to 11 pm on Wednesday 1 July 2026
  • possession of shopgoods fireworks for consumers is between 9 am Wednesday 1 July to 12 noon Thursday 2 July 2026.

The extended possession time is to allow retail outlets to return unsold stock to their wholesalers and allow the general public to hand in shopgoods fireworks to NT WorkSafe.

Location Requirements

Shopgoods fireworks must only be sold from premises that hold a current (retail) licence to store, possess and sell shopgoods fireworks.

Either the applicant (responsible person) or the co-responsible person needs to be at the premises for the entire sale period.

The point of sale must be from an established shop front that meets all the requirements of the legislation.

The following sites have been determined, through the risk assessment process, to be unsuitable for shopgoods fireworks retail outlets:

  • temporary kiosks
  • service stations
  • verandas
  • roadside stalls
  • open areas in shopping centre’s
  • a place licensed to consume alcohol on or away from the premises (if this applies to you, please contact NT WorkSafe prior to submitting an application)

This list is not exhaustive, and a risk assessment must be undertaken by applicants for every proposed shopgoods fireworks retail outlet.

Responsibility

The person applying for the licence (the applicant) is also the responsible person and must ensure all conditions of the licence are complied with, even where the application is on behalf of a business.

Responsible person and co-responsible person:

  • must be over the age of 18 years
  • must be capable of acting without supervision
  • must sign the application for licence (retail) to store, possess and sell shopgoods fireworks – Territory Day celebrations only
  • must ensure that the requirements of the licence and legislation are adhered to during the sale period for shopgoods fireworks
  • must instruct all employees/co-workers in the requirements of the legislation and the sale of shopgoods fireworks
  • must make themselves available at a mutually agreeable time to undertake inspections
  • either person must be at the site on 1 July 2026
  • can be listed for one site only
  • ensure that staff handling and/or selling fireworks have attained the age of 16 years

Top compliance issues found in 2025:

The top compliance issues that required NT WorkSafe inspectors to give verbal directions to correct are:

  1. Fireworks not secured to prevent unauthorised access
  2. Fireworks stored near or with an ignition source
  3. Fireworks exceeding the allowable amount stored outside of display cabinets
  4. Fireworks stored outside of spark-proof packaging

Frequently asked questions

  • Yes, you must have attained the age of 16 years to sell or handle Shopgoods fireworks.

  • Yes, the co-responsible person will need to be capable of acting without supervision, able to instruct other workers on legislative requirements and have an understanding of the risks involved when retailing Shopgoods fireworks. The co-responsible person must be on site when the responsible person is not.

  • Yes. A risk assessment is required when there are any changes in your workplace or someone is exposed to a hazard. The risk assessment must be site specific.

    If you don’t have a copy of the NT WorkSafe risk assessment document please call 1800 019 115 to request one.

  • Yes, if you are an established business you should have a site specific emergency plan in place as per Regulation 43 of the Work Health and Safety (National Uniform Legislation) Regulations 2011. You may need to make small changes to allow for the new hazards of storing, handling and selling Shopgoods fireworks.

    If you have a vacant shop you will need to create an emergency plan prior to applying for a Territory Day retail Shopgoods fireworks licence.

  • Yes, you can have as many as you like; however you need to keep in mind that your licence restricts you to the quantity you can hold at the retail premise.

  • Yes, it is unlawful to keep Shopgoods fireworks past noon 3rd July, unless you hold a current licence to store explosives.

  • In the Northern Territory, workers' compensation insurance is compulsory for every employer who is not a self-insurer.

    Any business that employs or hires workers on a full-time, part-time or casual basis, under an oral or written contract of service or apprenticeship, must have workers' compensation insurance that covers all workers.

    If the business is owned by an individual or partnership (not a company), immediate family members who live with those individuals are only covered if their personal details and their remuneration are disclosed to the insurer at the time the person commences employment, when a policy is obtained or at the renewal of a policy.

    A worker is someone who performs work or a service for another person under a contract and is an employee for PAYG purposes as defined by the Taxation Administration Act, even if the employer is not withholding tax when they should be.

  • Yes, as long as there is no exchange of funds or by voucher/coupons prior to the approved sales period which is 1 July 9am to 9pm.

  • Each retail premise will be evaluated on merit; the risk assessment submitted to NT WorkSafe must address the cooking facilities in detail.

  • Family members of employer

    A person who is a member of the immediate family of the employer, and who lives with the employer is not a worker, however like directors, there is provision under the Act for immediate family members who live with the employer to be covered under an employer’s policy.

    If the business is owned by an individual or partnership (not a company), immediate family members of those individuals are only covered if their personal details and their remuneration are disclosed to the insurer at the time the person commences employment, when a policy is obtained or at the renewal of a policy.

    A person who is a member of the immediate family of the employer who works for the employer, but does not live with the employer, is a worker under the Act and therefore must be covered for workers compensation under a policy.

    Immediate family members are:

    • a spouse
    • a parent (including a stepmother or stepfather) or grandparent
    • a child (including a stepchild) or grandchild
    • a brother or sister (including a half-brother or half-sister)

  • Any pop up/temporary stores must comply with the requirements for the sale of shopgoods fireworks.

    Pop up/temporary stores are governed by the Australian consumer and competition laws and are designed to promote competition, not prevent it.

    A core principle is that businesses are free to compete with each other, including by responding to price competition or setting up a similar shop nearby.

    The Australian Consumer Law is administered and enforced jointly by the ACCC and the State and Territory consumer protection agencies, with the involvement of ASIC on relevant financial matters.

  • A permit is required to perform activities or advertise on a road reserve in the NT. You must apply through the NT Government for activities on major roads, or your local council for local areas.

    For road reserves not controlled by the Northern Territory Government, queries should be directed to the appropriate local authority (for example, City of Darwin Council, Alice Springs Town Council etc.)

    Visit roads managed by the NT Government to confirm who owns the road.

  • Concerns have been raised with NT WorkSafe regarding potentially misleading advertising.

    NT WorkSafe is unable to resolve individual disputes about misleading claims regarding the sale of shopgoods fireworks or provide legal advice.

    NT WorkSafe reminds all wholesalers and retailers of the requirements of consumer law where businesses should not try to gain an unfair advantage by making misleading claims about their products. For example, “buy one, get one free" deals are a powerful marketing tool that can often be misleading. Promotions must be accurate, truthful and based on reasonable grounds, including information on prices.  Any business making an advertising claim must be able to substantiate it. An offer is considered misleading or deceptive if the price of the first item has been increased to largely cover the cost of the second item.

    So while the message of ‘buyer beware’ is relevant, businesses must be aware of consumer law if they were to be challenged.

Related Forms and Resources

Forms
Application for a territory day retail licence
Guides
Handling and transporting cash
Resources and templates
Celebrate Territory Day the Safe Way poster
Risk assessment template
Last updated:
25 May 2026

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