SHOPPING hour restrictions blocking city trading on public holidays will be relaxed on next month's Easter Tuesday.
The Anzac Day and Easter holidays this year cross over to create a five-day weekend stretching from April 22-26 and business leaders have welcomed the relaxed trading hours as a win for shoppers.
The State Government will today announce trading between 11am and 5pm on the Tuesday, in line with standard Sunday operating hours.
Industrial Relations Minister Bernie Finnigan said the exemption was sparked by "special circumstances" and did not mark the start of lasting shopping hours reform.
"Having some trading on the Tuesday gives an opportunity for some special focus on the city and hopefully there'll be some efforts to attract people and make a day of it in the city," he told The Advertiser yesterday.
"It's not a precedent or anything like that.
"It's just a very special or unusual circumstance when you have Anzac Day abutting Easter."
Business SA chief executive Peter Vaughan challenged Adelaide City Council and other stakeholders to back the initiative with free parking, entertainment and other public attractions.
Mr Vaughan said the move was good for consumers and shop workers seeking extra money on the holiday.
"It is a real breakthrough to have shops throughout the CBD being able to trade on a public holiday," he said.
"Having shops closed for four out of five days over Easter would have been a disaster for the local economy. This is a commonsense decision."
Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association state secretary Peter Malinauskas said the union had won guarantees from major retailers that no member would be forced to work against their will.
"Our position as a principle is that stores shouldn't be trading on public holidays," he said.
"But we acknowledge that there was a special circumstance that presented itself this Easter."
Rundle Mall Management Authority general manager Martin Haese said the decision sent a message that the city was open for business.
"Rundle Mall will turn on a festive atmosphere to entertain shoppers and anyone who wants to come and enjoy the precinct," he said.
Liberal MP for the state seat of Adelaide, Rachel Sanderson, has introduced legislation to Parliament that would allow all Rundle Mall shops to open on non-religious public holidays.
Comments on this story
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JT of Adelaide Posted at 11:37 AM April 12, 2011
Who says how I should spend my day off from work? If I want to go shopping, I should be able to go shopping. Same as if I wanted to go camping, spend time with family, what ever it is that some other people like doing. Each to their own. As a young person, I'm embarassed about how backwards this city is. Besides, I think you'll find that the majority of part time retail workers want the extra hours and extra money afforded to them by working on a public holiday.
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Janice of Adelaide Posted at 1:40 PM March 19, 2011
Anzac Day is the 25th. The 26th shouldn't be a holiday anyway.
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hel of south Posted at 1:20 PM March 19, 2011
sad that ANZAC day is the day that is being downgraded as a pulic holiday importance.....if shops have to be open would not the saturday be less upsetting to all concerned.
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Trading Hours Are Scrambled Over Easter (Read 3155 times)
