Petition over Woolworths Gubuda-Gordonvale Sunday trading hours started by Ben Winters
The creator of a petition to fix a missing feature from a new Far North supermarket has spoken out after a Cairns MP said there was another solution. VOTE IN OUR POLL
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UPDATE, AUGUST 2: THE creator of a petition to get the new Gordonvale Woolworths to trade seven days has spoken out after a Cairns MP said there was another solution.
Ben Winters called for the repeal of the act that restricted no trading on Sundays in small pockets of Queensland.
Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt told the Cairns Post it was best to wait until the moratorium on the creation and amendment of trading hours within Queensland ended on August 31 which would allow them to put an application in.
Mr Winters said despite what Mr Pitt said he would still like the act to be repealed.
“This shouldn’t be an issue, they shouldn’t necessarily have to apply for special consideration,” Mr Winters said.
“The reality is it should be an open slather, everyone should have an open rights to trade, whether it’s a small problem or a big one.”
“Why should the IGA or Coles have priority and be able to open.”
Ms Winters said if the act was repealed it would help other areas too.
“Mission Beach is a major tourism zone and they can’t open on a Sunday,” he said.
“This would affect the change for all of the tourism zones from Weipa to Mission Beach.
EARLIER, AUGUST 1: A PETITION with growing momentum has been created to get the new Gordonvale Woolworths to trade seven days.
The store is currently restricted to not being able to trade on a Sunday because of the Trading Hours Act 1990 which affects some regions in Queensland.
Petition creator Ben Winters said Sunday was the day his family wanted to shop.
“The main reason is we’ve got this brand new supermarket in Gordonvale and it’s not open on a Sunday which is ridiculous,” he said.
“My partner works usually five-and-a-half days, sometimes six. I can work six or seven days a week.
“Everyone can’t work out why this place isn’t allowed to open when everyone else can.
“The fact that there is a Coles supermarket eight minutes down the road that’s allowed to open is stupid.”
Mr Winters said his plan was to get as many signatures as possible and to then take it to Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt.
A Woolworths spokesperson said they believe all Queensland customers should have greater flexibility to shop when it suited them.
“We have had plenty of feedback from the community on this and would gladly extend our trading hours for customers if we could,” they said.
“We would also be able to offer local team members the opportunity to work additional hours.”
The petition calls for the repeal of the Trading Hours Act 1990.
Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt said that was not the solution as it would affect other parts of the act. Instead he said to wait until the moratorium on the creation and amendment of trading hours within Queensland ended on August 31.
“The moratorium is set to end in about a month’s time. I’ve already been in contact with Woolworths stakeholder relations and have committed to supporting seven-day trading at the centre,” he said.
“I will be writing to the minister for industrial relations to that effect.
“This is a scenario where we’ve got the moratorium set to end, the timing would allow an application to be sent after.”
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Originally published as Petition over Woolworths Gubuda-Gordonvale Sunday trading hours started by Ben Winters
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