Queensland trading hours to be expanded in push by retail giants


QUEENSLANDERS would be able to shop when and where they liked if a push by retailers to overhaul the state's trading hours succeeds.

Sunday trading would be extended throughout the state, major stores could open before 8am and after 9pm and the door would open to 24-hour trading in some areas such as Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.

The move from the nation's biggest retailers follows concerns they are losing marketshare to online businesses, including overseas retailers, partly because of the high Australian dollar.

Under the current system, major Queensland retailers are generally prevented from opening before 8am or after 9pm.

In most other states and territories, shops can choose when to open and close except for defined public holidays such as Christmas Day, Good Friday and Anzac Day.

Grocery giant Coles is lobbying the Bligh Government to remove the Industrial Relations Commission as gatekeeper of trading hours, saying it's an obstacle to Queenslanders enjoying the same flexibility as consumers in southern states.


Coles also wants uniform trading hours across the state.

"Queensland likes to call itself the Smart State but how smart is it to have 16 or 17 different trading hour zones operating across the state?" asked Shopping Centre Council of Australia chief executive Milton Cockburn.

Queensland is the only state where trading hours are regulated by the commission.

The push to remove the Industrial Relations Commission is being resisted by the State Government, but Industrial Relations Minister Cameron Dick said he was prepared to meet stakeholders to discuss deregulation of trading hours.

"Our current system strikes the right balance between the interests of retailers and the interests of workers, with any decision being made by the independent umpire and without any interference from politicians," Mr Dick said.

But a Coles spokesman said regional Queenslanders were particularly disadvantaged because some did not have access to Sunday trading.

"The time has come to allow all Queenslanders the same choices of when and where they can shop," the spokesman said.

"The first step would be to remove the need for retailers to go through the Industrial Relations Commission every time an extension or amendment to trading hours is sought."

Mr Cockburn said a more liberalised trading regime was inevitable.

"The current system is old-fashioned. It's actually quite antiquated at a time when shops online are trading 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said.

Woolworths and Big W say they are also keen for change, saying some relaxation of trading hours would allow Queensland consumers to take part in national special events such as midnight store openings for major sales.

Consumer organisation Choice has called for nationally uniform trading laws, saying the current system was confusing.


Comments on this story

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     Scotty Posted at 12:57 AM Today

         About time we caught up with the rest of the country - bravo!!! How about daylight savings next?

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     nh jan of Brisbane Posted at 12:55 AM Today

         For some reason the government in Queensland has always held back, makeing a very wrong assumption that Queenslanders don't want the conveniences that the southern states have. Instead they like to paint this picture that we're all sitting down at dinner at 5.00pm and in bed by 7.30. Bring it on!

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     Phil of Mitchelton Posted at 12:54 AM Today

         At least our corner store will still have the early morning regulars who can easily park and get their morning papers and sundries. They dont have much else going for them these days.

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     Jason of Brisbane Posted at 12:43 AM Today

         Thank you! Finally! Late night shopping is a pretty antiquated idea. Recently I had a friend over from overseas and we tried going shopping for things after 5pm, only to find lots of places shut. She asked how working people (who presumably earnt most of the money in society) could actually get out to buy the things they wanted. Weird system.

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     Kate of Brisbane Posted at 12:33 AM Today

         As someone that works 11:00pm-7:00am 4 nights a week I find it hard to get to the shops. I can't go shopping after work, like most people. I have to go home first then go out. That's not fair. So apart from perishable foods I buy everything online.

Quote:



If you call pandering to the brain dead a good idea.

^^^^^^ All mellie.

Aussie Skinhead wrote on Dec 4^th, 2010 at 9:23pm:


Pinhead, I`m not Mellie, but surely you can see that this move only drives out the smaller trader who keeps th big blokes honest.  Once you lose sight of fairness and honesty in your selfish class war, you slide into the sewer where you belong.  

Imcrook, you play into the hands of the big end of town.

Smaller businesses cant trade the times as the big guys as they dont have the backup the big ones have.  The big guys will ride low profits and even losses if it means killing their competition then allowing them to do as they please.

You want it all, but you are killing competition by doing so.

Aussie Skinhead wrote on Dec 4^th, 2010 at 10:30pm:


Cold war? 1960? Like you, I have no idea what you are blathering about.

Aussie Skinhead wrote on Dec 5^th, 2010 at 12:08pm:


Class war = Communism = Cold War AND THE AUSTRALIAN UNIONS, ALP & THE GREENS (See all politics of envy)