The RTA brought the problem of greatly reduced trading hours in April to the State Government's attention several months ago, strongly advocating the issue and bringing its full social and commercial impact to the fore.
With Anzac Day falling on a Saturday, and a public holiday in Western Australia on the following Monday, a majority of stores were facing the prospect of not being allowed to open at all over the three day break. In addition, Tuesday 28 April will also be the first day of second term for school children.
Not only would shoppers be extremely inconvenienced, but retailers would not have the facilities to handle the resultant demand for goods that would arise on the following Thursday night and Friday trading. Even those shops able to open would quickly run short, especially those supplying fresh provisions.
The State Government has responded to the problem and RTA has since been working closely with it and senior officials to find a way to allow the majority of Western Australia's retailers to open on the public holiday.
The RTA's achievement of a general permit for this occasion means that CCI members can open on the Monday public holiday without the need to make individual applications to the Minister or Commissioner.
The archaic nature and gross inadequacies of the Retail Trading Hours Act 1987 have yet again been highlighted by the situation of the Easter break being followed closely by the Anzac Day holidays.
Both events represent holiday periods where retailers and shoppers would have faced another major inconvenience of three days with all general shops being closed. This would have meant that April retail trade would have been extremely challenging for all retailers especially with the current economic turbulence.
Although common sense should have prevailed and the Act should have simply set forth procedures to handle such anomalies, it was not to be so. The Act is a hindrance to good social and commercial realities and is in desperate need of amendment or more so, eradication. Legislation is meant to facilitate, not prove to be an inbuilt obstacle to meeting the needs of the public and industry.
However, the result now achieved is that general shops subject to permit application will now be allowed to trade on Monday 27 April between the hours of 8am and 6pm throughout the metropolitan area, although should your retail outlet be within a tourism precincts of Perth (8am to 6pm expected), Fremantle (10am to 6pm) or Rockingham (8am to 6pm), the times of trading may vary.
If you have questions about your business’ trading hours contact RTA at rta@cciwa.com.
By Wayne Spencer
Retail Traders' Association Director