Page 2808 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 22 November 1989
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However, if you want to buy jewellery, clothing, footwear or giftwear, you must travel to New South Wales. Restrictions preventing Saturday afternoon trading for one are hindering businesses. Canberra is simply losing business because, unlike New South Wales, which allows retail trading up to 5 pm, ACT retail trading is only allowed up until noon. On Saturday afternoons you can only look through some windows of some department stores and some boutique shops, rather than purchase the dress for the night out, shoes for the children, and the list goes on.
Some may say we do not need to be the same as Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin, where Saturday afternoon trading is already in place. Only in South Australia, where Bills have been introduced into the parliament twice - in December 1987 and April 1988, both times defeated, but they may be lucky the third time - and in Tasmania is there not Saturday afternoon trading. However, I believe we need to have Saturday afternoon trading to come into line with New South Wales and Victoria. I am confident that here in the ACT Saturday afternoon trading will become a reality.
The battle group opposing the Bill is still unidentified. While I recognise that some small traders may have reservations, I am aware that as more householders become two-income families, nowadays by necessity rather than choice, as a result of the high interest rates policy of the Federal ALP Government, Saturday afternoon trading will allow more dollars to be spent in the Territory.
As I have previously stated, the restriction on shopping hours is not helping our tourist industry. Visitors to the ACT find weekend shopping hours awkward and inconvenient. They arrive in Canberra with dollars to spend and find stores have closed. Tourists are subjected to the mad rush of Saturday mornings to do their shopping, and the situation reflects poorly on Canberra's image. The Canberra Tourism Development Bureau 1989-90 marketing strategy, in appendix B, quotes some important factors affecting Australia's tourism industry. Under the heading "Shopping Hours" it states:
Shopping is primarily a holiday activity for both domestic and international tourists. The attractiveness of Australia as a destination will be enhanced where the retail shopping sector provides a range, price and quality of goods and services of a standard at least matching those available in other countries.
This is referring to the national scene, but it could also be referring to the local scene.
I think at this stage it is important to recognise the contribution those working in the industry make and to address some of their concerns, especially as a case is
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