General News
13 February, 2026
Beach ban for sausage van
MONTHS spent gathering hundreds of signatures in support of their unique food van at Mission Beach has been to no avail for the owners of the Kranky Kransky, who have lost their final battle to keep the mobile outlet where it is.
Cassowary Coast Regional Council voted down a petition with just over 600 signatures in support of letting the mobile food business stay at the carpark next to the Mission Beach Visitor Centre.
Owners Bronwen and Norbert Heser say they’re very disappointed with the outcome at council’s January meeting, but not surprised.
The last day of trading allowed under a temporary mobile food permit granted last year by council to the Hesers, was Saturday 31 January.
Council did allow the petition to be ‘received’ at its meeting but after a short report by CEO Andrew Graffen, all but one councillor – Trudy Tschui – voted for a council resolution to not extend the Kranky Kransky’s permit.
Bronwyn Heser says despite going to a lot of trouble to gather support for retaining their popular spot near the beach, including from other food outlets in Mission Beach, council appears to have shunned small business operators.
“Why would this council go out of its way to keep any business going in Mission Beach given its track record over the last two years?” Ms Heser lamented.
“Their complete refusal to reduce rates during the upheaval of the drainage works/revitalisation project in town is evidence of the council’s ruthless attitude toward existing shop owners and tenants,” she said.
“We love Mission Beach – the beach, the forest and the rain and will continue to do so, with or without the Kranky Kransky.”
The couple still have not decided whether to look at other localities in the area, including options on private land, if there is reasonable exposure to traffic and access.
In a last-ditch effort to try to extend their tenure at the visitor centre car park, Norbert Heser emailed council asking to let them stay until May, to give them more time to find a suitable alternative site.
“I politely asked for an extension,” Mr Heser said.
“Let’s see what happens.”
But at the council meeting, there was little or no indication that any bureaucratic minds would be changed.
“There are opportunities outside of public open space and council-controlled land to operate under those mobile food licenses,” Mr Graffen told the meeting.
“I just need to highlight the mobile roadside vending guidelines do state that council won’t support these operations within 400 metres where we have bricks and mortar operations,” he said.
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