Easter bylaw goes to public

Timaru councillors have voted for formal consultation to begin around retailers being able to trade on Easter Sunday.

A proposal will soon go out to the public to get their views on whether or not trading should be allowed on one of the remaining traditional holidays.

Consultation will officially begin on September 28. There are three options on the table - allowing all shops to open, with the proviso that staff can refuse to work, allowing shops to open in part of the district only, or not having a bylaw.

Councillor Kerry Stevens, who represents the Geraldine ward, said at a council meeting on Tuesday he was keen to get a broad range of public opinions.

The council was unanimous in their decision to put the proposal out to consultation. South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce president Wendy Smith has said the chamber opposes having the bylaw, on the grounds the Government should create one for everyone.

Business owners around the district have also said they do not want to open on Easter Sunday as it is a day they spend with their families - and they do not want their employees to feel obliged to work.

Aoraki Development chief executive Nigel Davenport said he supported the stance of the chamber. ‘‘First and foremost it has to be the right thing for the employees,’’ he said.

The council had done the right thing by putting the proposed bylaw out for public consultation, and the chamber would be watching the situation with interest, Davenport said.

A number of councils around the country have already adopted an Easter Trading Bylaw, allowing retailers to trade.

In Kaikoura, Mayor Winston Gray said the bylaw had not caused any problems for the town, and it had been a ‘‘smooth transition’’, as most businesses sold souvenirs or food and were therefore exempt from the no-trading rule anyway. He had not heard of any issues with employees feeling obliged to work, he said.

Rangitata National Party candidate Andrew Falloon said he supported councils, rather than the Government, deciding whether or not retailers could trade, as they knew what was best for their local community.

It was unfair that tourist places such as Queenstown were able to trade under the national legislation, whereas neighbouring towns were not.

‘‘There’s certainly been an issue in the past where some areas have been able to trade and some have not. ‘‘It is a matter for the council to decide.’’

Labour candidate Jo Luxton could not be reached for comment on Tuesday afternoon. If the council does create a bylaw, it will have to review it in five years’ time. Consultation will close on October 30.

People can make submissions at www.timaru.govt.nz and completing the online feedback form, or they can fill out submission forms available from the council and post them back or scan them. Hearings will be held in November, and a final decision will be made in December.