HUTT CITY COUNCIL NEWS RELEASE

3 May 2017

Little appetite for Easter Sunday trading

A Hutt City Council committee has recommended not developing a policy on whether shops can open on Easter Sunday at this stage, after a survey found that even the business sector has little appetite for it.

The survey’s 113 responses, which included those from retailers, the Lower Hutt Chamber of Commerce, churches and members of the public, found almost 64 per cent were against Easter Sunday trading, with 35 percent supporting it.

Almost 61 per cent of business owners said they would not open their doors on Easter Sunday. Around a quarter of business owners said they would open on EasterSunday, if given the option. Businesses noted that it wasn’t financially viable to open on Easter Sunday. Other respondents said Easter Sunday should be reserved as a time for family, or that Easter Sunday is the most important day on the Christian calendar.

Last year, the Government amended the Shop Trading Hours Act to give councils the authority to create a policy allowing shops to open on Easter Sunday. Currently, most shops cannot open on Easter Sunday except service stations, dairies, fast food outlets, bars, restaurants and café’s.

Council’s Policy and Regulations Committee recommended, this week, not to develop an Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy at this time, preferring to take a unified approach with Wellington, Porirua and Upper Hutt Councils should any of the councils decide to develop Easter Sunday Trading Policies. The committee’s recommendation will go before a full Council meeting for consideration on 23 May.

Porirua City Council has decided not to adopt a policy at this stage and Upper Hutt City Council will consider it later in the year.

© Scoop Media