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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 8 Hansard (27 June) . . Page.. 2401 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

The other furphy is that there will be no access to shops in town centres if the Government closes these stores. Mr Speaker, first of all, let me put to one side the supposed problem of allowing people to access shops when 85 hours' worth of shopping is available in those town centres under this policy. Advocates of this position forget that there are other shops in town centres that sell food - both cooked food and uncooked food - that are available to meet the needs of people who live in or near town centres. (Quorum formed) In Civic, for example, in the City Markets, there are a number of shops where cooked food and uncooked food can be purchased, and, under this policy, those shops can be open for whatever hours are required to meet the needs of people who want to shop there. I have no doubt that, if there is a large number of people who live in or near Civic who want to shop for groceries or food of various sorts at night, those shops will remain open to meet the needs of those customers, and they will be able to under this policy. So, Mr Speaker, to say that we are destroying the interests of people who live near town centres is just nonsense.

Let me make one point perfectly plain. Under this policy, the ACT will have the most unrestricted trading hours policy of any jurisdiction in this country and, indeed, one of the most unrestricted trading hours policies of any place in the world. Let us look at the situation in other Australian jurisdictions. In New South Wales, small and scheduled shops have unrestricted hours. General shops - which generally include large retailers, including grocery supermarkets - have restricted hours. On Sundays, for example, their trading is restricted to from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm. With certain exemptions, that applies in most parts of the State. Compare those, Mr Speaker, with the hours being proposed by the ACT Government.

In Victoria, metropolitan shops, including major supermarkets, can trade to 5.00 pm on Saturdays, while non-metropolitan shops can trade to 1.00 pm on Saturdays but are closed on Sundays. Mr Speaker, in Queensland, the general hours for shops are 8.00 am to 9.00 pm weekdays, 8.00 am to 5.00 pm Saturdays, and closed on Sundays and public holidays. And the list goes on. In South Australia, the hours are midnight to 6.00 pm on weekdays and midnight to 5.00 pm on Saturdays. Shops are generally closed on Sundays. In Western Australia, the hours are 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Wednesday and Friday, and 8.00 am to 5.00 pm Saturday. On Sunday, in certain precincts such as Perth and Fremantle CBDs, you have trading hours; otherwise, no trading at all. It is a similar situation in Tasmania. Sunday trading is nil.

Mr Speaker we have, under this policy, a very unrestricted trading hours policy. Those in this debate who oppose the restrictions we are placing on it, who suggest that we are taking some extraordinary step, really have to ask themselves whom they are trying to fool. What we are doing is no more or less than acknowledging that trading hours have an impact on the viability of businesses at other levels of the retail hierarchy, and we are doing something about that. Mr Speaker, I say again that, if those who oppose this legislation think we are doing the wrong thing, let them outline to this Assembly what their alternatives are. How are they going to deal with those businesses that have suffered so badly under the present policies? What are they going to do? Mr Moore at least says that he would restrict retail trading expansion in the town centres. But what is the alternative Government going to do? What policy are you going to put in place?

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