Easter Sunday trading in Kapiti - yes or no?

A Kapiti Coast District Council committee has endorsed the development of an Easter Sunday trading policy.

Expect some robust debate soon, now that a Kapiti Coast District Council committee has endorsed development of a policy that could lead to Easter Sunday trading in the district.

Most shops around the country are required by law to be closed on Easter Sunday, but local authorities can now create a local policy that will allow shops within their area, or parts of it, to trade on the religiously important day.

A report to the strategy and policy committee said there was now an opportunity to draft and adopt a Easter Sunday trading policy, which would come under the under the umbrella of the 2016-2018 policy work programme.

"There have been two requests from national bodies representing retail and a request from the Chamber of Commerce for the development of a policy to enable Easter Sunday trading," principal policy advisor Sam Hutcheson said.

"There is no legal requirement to have a policy and there are a range of views in the community.

"The council received enquiries in March/April from businesses, churches and community members and these callers held a range of views.

"To give certainty for the public and businesses, it is proposed that an Easter Sunday Trading Policy is drafted and then consulted on in a simple one-stage process.

"A decision on the adoption of a policy would optimally be made this calendar year if Easter Sunday trading was to be enabled for next year.

"This would ensure plenty of time for business planning and for discussions with employees."

Kapiti Coast Chamber of Commerce chairwoman Heather Hutchings said, "The chamber was instrumental in getting the Easter trading policy onto the committee's agenda.

"An Easter trading policy has been a topic the board has discussed on a number of occasions.

"Our request to council was to raise the priority on the agenda so the debate could be had.

"We are fully supportive of having the debate and a decision made."

Kapiti mayor K Gurunathan expected a "humdinger of a debate".

"Councillors' direction to staff last week to initiate public consultation on Easter Trading is set to create some waves in the community.

"I paid close attention to the debate in Porirua in April where council voted six to three against opening.

"The trend across the country, since the Government changed its legislation in 2016, has been to open Easter Sunday for business.

"Porirua joins Ashburton and Palmerston North.

"I expect Kapiti to reflect the same divisions as the battle lines in the other communities.

"The unions and churches will line up against the likes of Retail NZ and the local chambers of commerce.

"The union/church alliance will argue for the value of family time and the right of workers not to be coerced into working.

"The other alliance will wax on the right of choice, the tourism trade and the current unfairness of some shops allowed to trade.

"What both sides of the argument have in common is their objection to the government's council-by-council approach.

"I agree with that sentiment, but then it's been typical of central governments to keep fobbing off responsibilities to local government to take the political heat and for ratepayers to bear the cost."