Easter a hot-cross bun fight
Shops are set to stay closed at Easter, with most retailers apathetic towards the opportunity to have the right to choose for themselves.
Officials have said they intend to keep shops closed in Manawatu¯ District on Easter Sunday but the final decision won’t be made until December 20. At a committee meeting yesterday, mayor Helen Worboys and deputy mayor Michael Ford were the lone supporters of granting businesses the power to choose whether to open, with the remaining nine councillors favouring the status quo. It prompted criticism from Ford, who said retailers should have come out in droves to provide feedback on a policy that directly affected their livelihood.
He also expressed disappointment at Feilding and District Promotion for not advocating on retailers’ behalf. However, its chairman Jason Smith said during a council meeting last month it was not his organisation’s role to act on behalf of the business community. ‘‘We’re not funded to do so, nor is it a strategic goal.’’
Only one retailer provided more than a yes or no response in their submission. The council received 148 submissions, mostly from churches and residents, with 61 in favour of allowing shops to open and 87 opposed.
‘‘I’m very disappointed we haven’t heard from the business community and Feilding and District Promotion,’’ Ford said. ‘‘I campaigned on promoting the interests of the business community which is why I will be voting to allow retailers to open.’’
Councillor Stuart Campbell believed Easter trading was a national topic that should have been dealt with by the Government. He rejected submissions saying New Zealand was not a secular society and shouldn’t be bound by Christian tradition, as there would be no basis for Easter or Christmas if that was true.
Cr Andrew Quarrie said consumerism was often masked under the label of economic development, and consuming goods had almost become a recreational activity.
Elsewhere in the region, Palmerston North rejected requests to make an Easter trading policy in October 2016, effectively keeping the shops shut. Rangitı¯kei District Council adopted a policy in favour of giving shops the choice in December 2016, and Horowhenua District Council allowed shop owners to open earlier this year. A decision has yet to be made in Tararua.