WAKOOL Shire traders have responded with disappointment and dissatisfaction to a
ruling from New South Wales Industrial Relations over trading on Boxing
Day.
Under the current legislation, trading on Good Friday, Easter Sunday,
Christmas Day and Boxing Day is prohibited in NSW. In order to gain approval to
trade on these days, businesses need to prove “exceptional
circumstances”.
Earlier this year, Barham’s supermarket store Foodworks
raised concerns to council about not being able to trade on Boxing
Day.
Council got behind local retailers and wrote to New South Wales
Industrial Relations pleading the case for shops to be allowed to open on Boxing
Day.
However council were told that third-party applications were not
accepted and it was the businesses themselves who needed to contact the
department in regards to the matter.
Foodworks put in their own application
to trade however it was rejected in June.
Earlier last week, the monthly
council meeting saw several councillors bring attention to the matter by
explaining their intention to advise all retail store owners in the area to
individually write to the department and all associated members of
parliament.
IGA Barham owner Melanie Faul said she was disappointed with the
legislation.
She said it showed a lack of support for small retail stores on
what is the busiest day of the year for the town.
“My parents own a caravan
park and have noticed that people check in the most on Boxing Day,” she
said.
For more of this story, see Monday’s Guardian (December 16).
