Submissions closed 5 pm Friday, 10 November 2017. Visit our Policies page for our current policies.
Whakatāne District Council is proposing a new Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy and is seeking your views.
Consultation document - Draft Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy 2017 - (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Background
Earlier this year, the government amended the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 that allows councils to decide whether shops in their district open on Easter Sunday.
The introduction of a Whakatāne District Council Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy would enable Council to allow shops within our District boundary to open on Easter Sunday, apart from any off-licence premises selling alcohol.
In accordance with the Act, the Whakatāne District Council is proposing a new Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy and is seeking your views.
Currently most shops in Whakatāne cannot open on Easter Sunday, with the exception of dairies, service stations, takeaway bars, restaurants and cafes, and garden centres.
Some tourist areas in New Zealand have had exemptions to open on Easter Sundays in the past, but Whakatāne does not have an exemption.
Under the amendment to the Act, Council is able to adopt a policy to permit shops to open on Easter Sundays.
The Council has adopted a Draft Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy for consultation which allows trading on Easter Sunday throughout the entire Whakatāne District. Council considered three options, including:
- Option 1: Maintaining the status quo
- Option 2: Allowing trading anywhere within the District
- Option 3: Only allowing trading in some parts of the District
Council is recommending Option 2 – that trading is allowed anywhere within the District on Easter Sunday.