Community to be consulted on local Easter Sunday trading

Council will be giving the community the opportunity to consider an Easter Sunday Trading policy for Kāpiti.

At the Strategy and Planning Committee’s 20 July meeting, councillors considered the overall policy work programme for the coming months. Among its priorities, Council will investigate and consult on a local district policy for Easter Sunday trading, which is a new option for local bodies under recent changes to the Shop Trading Hours Act.

If a policy was adopted, local businesses could make their own decision to open or not on Easter Sunday. Certain specified businesses, like dairies and petrol stations, are already able to trade if they wish under the existing legislation.

Group Manager, Strategy and Planning, Sarah Stevenson says Council receives inquiries on this topic from a range of viewpoints, including business, families, churches and the wider community.

“To give the community certainty and be able to be part of a decision about whether trading on Easter Sunday should be enabled, Council has agreed to draft and consult on a Kāpiti policy.

“This work will be about Council responding to a community debate and contributes to two of its strategic outcomes – a thriving economy and democracy through community participation.”

Mayor K Gurunathan said he expected the public consultation in Kāpiti to reflect the same divisions as other communities, such as Porirua, where an Easter Sunday opening policy has already been debated. Consultation on a draft policy will probably start in the next few months, followed by a submission and Council hearing process.

More details on the process will be shared with the community early next month. Further information and advice from central government agencies on trading rules is available through the Council website.