Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Editorial: How long will we be shut out at Easter?

Rotorua Daily Post
6 Apr, 2015 09:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

All the shops were closed over Easter.

All the shops were closed over Easter.

Another Easter holiday has come and gone and the shambles that are New Zealand's Easter trading laws remain in place - as do the bewildered looks on the faces of tourists who visit Rotorua over the busy weekend.

For locals who ran out of time to stock the supplies last week it was a mad rush to join the throngs at the city's supermarkets on Saturday - what mayhem that was!

And what a good look it is for one of the country's premier tourist destinations when the streets are deserted on Friday and Sunday with all the shops closed.

Woe betide those who want a quiet beer with friends at their favourite cafe that's not allowed to sell alcohol because they don't serve "full meals".

The few businesses that do flout the law, traditionally local garden centres, don't seem to have a problem getting staff in and balancing the books. It also seems the powers that be turn a blind eye to their Easter activities.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Don't get me started about those nasty "surcharges" either, suffice to say if you can't spread those costs out over the trading year then maybe you shouldn't be open at all.

Every year we speak to our local MP who promises to get something done about it.

Taupo and Queenstown enjoy relaxed Easter Trading laws - why can't we?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The last two Easters a joint effort between Todd McClay and mayor Steve Chadwick was supposed to get some changes made.

Sadly, we get the same old response, "we're trying", but still nothing.

Surely this situation is all about choice?

If a business sees value in opening over Easter then why stop them? If their staff want to work, let them, if they don't, let them have the choice.

Discover more

Editorial: Freedom to curb freedom

01 Apr 08:00 PM

Editorial: Should City Focus be demolished?

03 Apr 11:00 PM

Editorial: Let facts come out before we judge

05 Apr 09:00 PM

Editorial: Bosses need to grasp on to reality

07 Apr 09:00 PM

But if I want a beer with my cafe quiche on a sunny day off, Lord knows I'm going to be denied such a simple pleasure.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Pair deny charges over death of Paige Johnson in alleged hit-and-run

11 Jul 12:26 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

10 Jul 11:07 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Heavy rain warning issued for Bay of Plenty, up to 140mm expected

10 Jul 10:57 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Pair deny charges over death of Paige Johnson in alleged hit-and-run

Pair deny charges over death of Paige Johnson in alleged hit-and-run

11 Jul 12:26 AM

One man is charged with manslaughter and the other with being an accessory after the fact.

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

10 Jul 11:07 PM
Heavy rain warning issued for Bay of Plenty, up to 140mm expected

Heavy rain warning issued for Bay of Plenty, up to 140mm expected

10 Jul 10:57 PM
Light truck rolls on SH36, one seriously injured

Light truck rolls on SH36, one seriously injured

10 Jul 10:45 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP