Trade hearing cancelled

A hearing on the changes which would allow shops in the Queenstown Lakes district to open on Easter Sunday has been cancelled after none of the submitters chose to be heard.

An amendment to Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 last year meant councils could now set their own rules for Easter Sunday trading.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council has proposed a district wide policy which would allow shops to open.

Council spokeswoman Michele Poole said originally three submitters did want to speak at a hearing, which is why one was scheduled to be held in Wanaka today.

The council received 33 submissions on the proposed change, of which only only six were opposed.

Shops in Queenstown were already allowed to open and in the past many shops in Wanaka chose to ignore the law.

Shops were still required by law to close on Easter Friday.