At a council meeting in the Oamaru Opera House last week, Crs Hugh Perkins, Jan Wheeler and Jeremy Holding voted against "one consultation" on a policy that could relax Easter trading rules in the district. Cr Perkins argued for council policy and planning consultant Victoria van der Spek’s original consultation proposal from last month’s customer services committee meeting that would have surveyed Waitaki residents on their preference before the council took a position on Easter trading, and then consulted residents on its proposal. Cr Perkins said he was concerned a rushed approach could allow the issue to "slip through", and while some councillors argued that allowing Easter trading in the district would not compel any employee to work on the day, in practical terms employees whose employers decided to open on Easter Sunday would probably feel compelled to work.
A more vigorous consultation would ensure all those affected would feel they had a chance to participate in the decision-making.
"It’s only a gesture but it’s an important one," he said.
Council policy and communications manager Mike Roesler said Mrs van der Spek’s original proposal to the customer services committee would have forced councillors to make a decision on the policy in March — a "very, very busy time" for the council when work on its 2018-28 long term plan would be well under way.
The revised proposal for one consultation that bypassed the initial survey and gave the community two options — status quo or adopting a policy that permitted Easter Sunday trading — would allow councillors to make a decision "well before Christmas".
Deputy Mayor Melanie Tavendale said councillors should urge the community to become involved.
"It is for one day and we still have the ability to canvas our community," she said.
Crs Tavendale, Jim Hopkins, Peter Garvan, Bill Kingan and Colin Wollstein voted in favour of the one-step consultation.
Cr Guy Percival and Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher were absent. And Cr Craig Dawson, an Omarama retailer, declared a conflict of interest and left the room for the discussion and vote. Most districts in New Zealand have already decided on a policy. The council was criticised in April by Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean for its lack of action on the issue.
The council had since received two formal requests from retailers to decide on a policy, council documents show.
