Still no shops on Easter Sunday
2 March 2017There is no change to the rules around Easter Sunday trading in the Waipa district this year.
Waipa District Council has confirmed that, as in previous years, most Waipa shops are not legally allowed to trade on Easter Sunday. Good Friday is also a non-trading day.
Last November the Council agreed it would develop an Easter Sunday trading policy, but made no promises what the policy would and wouldn't allow. Any change would not be in place before 2018.
Councillors instructed staff to find out what other Waikato-based councils were planning before developing a consultation programme to roll out later this year.
Last year the government pushed decisions about Easter Sunday trading to local councils. If, following consultation with the community, Waipa District Council did allow Easter Sunday trading, it could not control what types of shop could open, or their opening hours.
The policy would only apply to Easter Sunday and would have no impact on Good Friday or Easter Monday.
Waipa Mayor Jim Mylchreest has previously criticised the government's decision to force all councils to consider and potentially apply Easter Sunday trading policies.
We're likely to see a complete mish-mash of different rules all over New Zealand. Potentially there could be different rules for different towns within the same district - it's crazy.
For more information, contact Jeanette Tyrrell (on behalf of Council) 027 5077 599