Qld: Beattie moves on shopping hours

AAP General News (Australia)
12-23-2001
Qld: Beattie moves on shopping hours

By Paul Osborne

BRISBANE, Dec 23 AAP - Major shopping areas surrounding Brisbane will be able to trade
on Sundays from next July after Queensland Premier Peter Beattie today stepped into a
row on the issue.

The Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) ruled last week that retailers
in the Brisbane City Council area could open between 10am and 5pm on Sunday, but those
in bordering areas of Logan, Ipswich, Pine Rivers, Caboolture and Redlands would have
to remain closed.

Mr Beattie, who described the situation as unfair, said action would be taken so that
shops in areas bordering Brisbane City would be able to trade for the same hours.

At present, Sunday shopping is allowed between 9am and 6pm on the Gold and Sunshine
Coasts, in Cairns and Townsville CBDs and in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall.

Mr Beattie said he had instructed Industrial Relations Minister Gordon Nuttall to draft
laws to include the Brisbane-bordering shires in the Sunday trading decision from July
2002.

He said the government was not going to have a situation where some retailers were
disadvantaged over others.

Retailers Association of Queensland executive director Patrick McKendry said he welcomed
the Premier's decision.

Mr McKendry said if the QIRC's decision had stood, it would have taken about $100 million
out of shopping centres just outside Brisbane.

However, Queensland Retail Traders and Shopkeepers Association executive director Ian
Baldock said the move would have an adverse effect on his members.

Mr Baldock said the government had gone back on its commitment to abide by the umpire's decision.

"The government made a submission to the industrial commission on this particular case
to the effect that they would abide by the umpire's decision," Mr Baldock said.

"They didn't qualify it by saying if we didn't like the decision we would not abide by it.

"Now we've had a situation where the RAQ, because it has only got half of they wanted,
has run with cap in hand to the government and the government has agreed to it."

Mr Baldock said many of his association's 1,250 small business members in the affected
areas would lose 20 to 30 per cent of their trade because of the decision.

"It's going to be an adverse impact," he said.

"It will vary in degrees depending on how far away from a major supermarket or shopping
centre our members are."

Mr Beattie told a media conference today he would meet with all affected parties to
address their concerns before the laws were drafted early next year.

AAP pjo/jfs/jmd/de

KEYWORD: SHOPPING NIGHTLEAD

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