Easter trading put before public

Auckland Council will seek public input before it makes a decision as to whether all local shops can open for business on Easter Sunday.

Currently there are tight restrictions as to which shops can legally trade on Easter Sunday but there has been pressure to end those restrictions. Government delegated the decision to councils when it passed the Shop Trading Act last August.

At a meeting last month, Auckland Council made a unanimous decision to put the question before ratepayers.

The council wants to make sure it strikes the right balance between opportunities for additional money to businesses and workers, and opportunities for people to spend time on other recreational and leisure activities.

Community engagement may begin next month with findings reported back to the governing body in August.

If Council decides to pursue a policy, a proposed policy would be adopted by October  for public notification and consultation would be carried out by December. A final decision should be made in time for Easter 2018.