Easter trading hours have become very confusing. It has always depended on what kind of a service is being offered. Now it has become more complicated because, in 2016, the then-National government passed the responsibility of Easter trading hours to councils. To date, 39 of the 67 councils have created bylaws allowing about 9500 retailers Read more
After 90 years of banning the sale of alcohol in pubs on Good Friday, Ireland will now be able to serve liquor on this religious holiday. This was made possible following a 2017 liquor bill passed in the Dáil and will now be in place before Good Friday, which this year falls on March 30. Read more
Wellington City Council ran out of time to consult on new trading laws, leaving some retailers angry they won’t be allowed to open this year. Retail NZ spokesman Greg Harford said the delay meant both retailers and visitors would miss out. Continue reading
Easter Sunday trading in Rotorua has been given the green light allowing businesses to legally trade in the district from Easter this year. The Rotorua Lakes Council passed its Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy by a majority vote this morning and has become the first region in New Zealand to take advantage of changes to Read more
In a recent blog, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand pointed out that some of the MPs speaking in favour of the Shop Trading Hours Amendment Bill referred to the importance of freedom of choice. “However, they have given away their own freedom of choice in relation to this significant measure. Families, communities and low-paid retail workers will Read more
Proposed law changes to allow councils to determine whether shops can trade on Easter Sunday are unnecessarily complicated, Local Government New Zealand says. The bill, which is being considered by Parliament’s commerce committee, would allow councils to pass a by-law to allow shops to open. But Local Government president Lawrence Yule said by-laws were time Read more
Marlborough Mayor Alistair Sowman wrote to the three Kaikoura electorate candidates most likely to become MPs to ask for their backing for changes to Easter trading laws. Every two years, Blenheim hosts the Omaka Classic Fighters event at Easter and the trading law restrictions mean retailers, restaurants and cellar doors cannot make the most of Read more
The Government has announced it will ease back on the enforcing of the Easter trading laws. Active monitoring of Easter trading law breaches may be scrapped in favour of giving labour inspectors more time to investigate migrant worker exploitation. Labour Minister Simon Bridges has signalled that in the future officials may rely solely on complaints because Read more
The New Zealand Parliament has rejected legislation to allow Easter trading for the 11th time. 10 bills have been put up by National members and one by Labour. The present bill was sponsored by National MP for Waitaki Jacqui Dean and proposed allowing shops to open over Easter in Waitaki and Wanaka. It was voted Read more
This year the New Zealand Department of Labour inspected 64 shops nationwide over Good Friday and Easter Sunday, 41 of which were open and now face possible prosecution. This was more 2 than the number of shops prosecuted for opening at Easter last year and three more than 2010. Under the Shop Trading Hours Act Read more