Proposed laws to allow supermarket trading for most of Easter till 9pm in South Australia

SOUTH Australians would be able to shop until 9pm from the main supermarkets for most of the Easter weekend, under the State Government’s proposed shop trading hour reforms.

• It’s a garden and hardware retail bonanza over Easter
• Premier Steven Marshall’s agenda for the first 100 days
• Steven Marshall’s mandate warning to Upper House

SOUTH Australians would be able to shop until 9pm from the main supermarkets for most of the Easter weekend, under the State Government’s proposed shop trading hour reforms.

Industrial Relations Minister Rob Lucas said stores in the CBD and metropolitan Adelaide would be able to open from midnight and until 9pm on Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday, but remain closed on Good Friday.

Currently large supermarkets and department stores in the CBD can open from midnight to 5pm on Easter Saturday, and from 11am to 5pm on Easter Sunday and Monday.

The same stores in metropolitan Adelaide are unable to open at all on Easter Sunday and Monday, but can trade from midnight to 5pm on Easter Saturday.

Shop trading hours are deregulated in country South Australia, except for the South-East town of Millicent.

Mr Lucas said the Government’s reforms would extend weekend trading, and potentially allow metropolitan supermarkets to open until midnight, instead of the current 9pm. He pointed to smaller unregulated supermarkets on Henley Beach Rd, who he said were already trading after 9pm.

South Australian supermarkets could trade until 9pm for most of the Easter weekend under proposed State Government trading hour reforms.

“It’s just part of revitalising the SA economy. It’s a new broom,” he said.

“Our premise is that if shoppers want to shop and traders want to trade and workers are happy to work they should be able to.

“Why should people who live and work in the suburbs be disadvantaged compared to people who live in Adelaide?”

Premier Steven Marshall has vowed to introduce the new shop trading hours legislation inside his first 100 days of forming government, but faces a huge fight to get it through the Upper House.

SA Best MP Frank Pangallo told The Advertiser that the chances of him and colleague Connie Bonaros supporting deregulation was “remote”, due to concerns it would harm small business. The Government will require the support of at least one SA Best MP to pass the legislation, given it’s vehemently opposed by the Opposition and the Greens.