The committee will make a recommendation to the council, which will then make a final decision on February 27.
The proposed policy came about after the Government amended the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 to allow local councils to have a policy to permit shops to open on Easter Sundays.
The changes do not apply to Good Friday, for which current trading restrictions will remain, and would apply across the entire district.
Most shops in Rotorua cannot open on Easter Sunday, with the exception of dairies, service stations, takeaway outlets, restaurants and cafes, garden centres and duty free stores.
First to make his verbal submission today was local businessman Jagdev Bhullar who said because Rotorua relied heavily on tourism businesses should be given the option to open.
"Rotorua gets lots of visitors on Easter and it's not good that on Easter Sunday there is nowhere for them to go and shop.
"It's about mutual understanding between employer and employee, and people don't have to work if they don't want to," he said.
Next up was former Baptist minister, turned Roman Catholic, Bob Boardman, who said in his opinion, Easter Sunday was the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and there was no hard scientific data to support claims Easter Sunday trading would improve the local economy.
Mr Boardman wanted the council to defer its decision until a solid case could be put forward.
"It is undeniable that his [Jesus'] resurrection is the single greatest event in human history ... when you councillors and other leaders like you in our society expedite decisions to please the merchants of today and the religion of atheism, and that same decision effectively undermines the core of Christian faith, then you are not simply insulting God and marginalising the Christian community, you are, I believe, abusing the goose that lays the golden eggs for our society," Mr Boardman said.
The final verbal submission was made by Rotorua Labour Party candidate Ben Sandford, who said while local Labour Party members supported Easter Sunday trading, it was not party policy.
"It creates an opportunity, it doesn't create a requirement," he said.
"The policy can not and does not require businesses or employees to work over the Easter period, merely the opportunity to open on Easter Sunday.
"If the law is taking away the people's ability to work on Sunday when they normally would be working, it is actually taking away a day of work from them ... that definitely has a negative effect on those struggling to get by."
Rotorua MP Todd McClay told the Rotorua Daily Post ahead of the hearings he also supported the right for people in Rotorua to make their own decisions regarding the policy and encouraged councillors to do the same.
"It has always seemed utterly ridiculous to me that Taupo could be open for business at Easter, but Rotorua could not - locals simply deserve the choice.
"After years of inaction and political stalemate, former prime minister John Key agreed to make Easter trading a government issue, following a visit to Rotorua with me.
"Now we could see this impediment to business removed in time for this Easter.
"I encourage councillors to take the next step and give the people of Rotorua the freedom of choice they deserve and have waited so long for."
Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy
• Submissions closed last Friday
• 121 submissions received, 78 in support, 43 against
• Three verbal submissions heard today
• Councillors debate submissions and make a recommendation to council on Thursday
• Final decision to be made by the Rotorua Lakes Council on February 27
• Policy could be in place for this Easter
