Easter Sunday shop trading policy set to go to public consultation

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Rotorua residents are likely to soon get their say on whether shops should be allowed to open on Easter Sunday, with the council keen to make the change by this coming Easter.

A proposed Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy has been drafted and if approved by Rotorua Lake Council at its meeting on Thursday it will go out to public consultation in December. This would be by way of a formal submissions and hearings process.

The direction for the draft policy has been informed by the previous position taken by Rotorua Lakes Council to lobby for change to Easter Trading laws, a position supported by a 2014 Colmar Brunton survey which saw 79 per cent support for allowing Easter trading, the council stated on its website.

It is proposed the Strategy, Policy and Finance Committee would hear and deliberate on public submissions resulting from consultation on the draft policy.

Previous legislation has not allowed many shops to open on Easter Sunday but a Government amendment to the Shop Trading Hours Act enables councils to adopt policies permitting shops to open and defining whether that applies across the entire district or in limited areas only.

Councils have the option of not adopting a policy, in which case shops must remain closed on Easter Sunday as they have until now.

It is proposed the community be consulted on a draft policy that allows shops in the whole of the district to be open on Easter Sunday.

If the draft policy is approved on Thursday it is proposed submissions would be open from December 19 to January 27 with a draft report following hearings to be drafted for adoption at its February 2017 meeting.

The timing of the consultation will enable retailers and employees sufficient time to prepare ahead of Easter Sunday which next year falls on 16 April 2017. Employees would then have four weeks (19 February to 19 March 2017) to advise employers if they will not work Easter Sunday.