Poll: Should all Auckland shops be allowed to trade on Easter Sunday?
Restrictions on trading over Easter have frustrated Auckland retailers desperate for business in the wake of four Covid-19 lockdowns.
Only shops selling certain goods can legally trade on Easter Sunday, and those breaching conditions can be fined up to $1000.
But Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says critics have left it too late, as the process to change trading rules can take over a year.
Local government has had the power to rule on whether retailers can open on Easter Sunday since the National government passed the responsibility down in 2016.
Prior to this, only shops that sell necessities, such as dairies, service stations, and pharmacies, were given exemptions to trade.
Thirty-nine of the country’s 67 councils have created bylaws to date allowing retailers to open if they want, but Auckland, Wellington, and other major centres remain opposed.
Newmarket Business Association chief executive Mark Thomas said the restrictions are “ridiculous and out of date”.
“There are so many discrepancies in the law it seems a bit ludicrous,” he said.
*Please put NFP if you do not want your comments used by Stuff.
-
58.3% Yes
-
38.9% No
-
2.8% Unsure- it's too complex
Poll: Does the building consent process need to change?
We definitely need homes that are fit to live in but there are often frustrations when it comes to getting consent to modify your own home.
Do you think changes need made to the current process for building consent? Share your thoughts below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
-
91.4% Yes
-
8.2% No
-
0.4% Other - I'll share below!
Lest we forget...
On this ANZAC Day, let's take a moment to remember and honor the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve our country.
Tell us who are you honouring today. Whether it's a story from the battlefield or a memory of a family member who fought in the war, we'd love you to share your stories below.
Artist Talks
Series of Artist’s Talks about Renaissance Artists:
Next talk, this coming Sunday, 28th.
Sunday 28th April Michelangelo - Fall
Sunday 26th May Caravaggio - Passion
Sunday 23rd June Rembrandt - Reflection
Sunday 25th August Van Gogh
Talks are by Blacksmith Chris Ellwood and his wife, potter and painter, Karyn.
Passion, pain and the papacy have influenced the work of many of the Renaissance Artists. Hear stories of Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Van Gogh as we take you through their spiritual journey’s during a series of artist talks hosted as part of ‘Cafe Church’ over the next few months at Helensville Community Church, 40 Mill Road.
The talks will be in the form of a powerpoint presentation and will be very interactive, with questions welcomed throughout. Although neither Chris nor Karyn are academics as such, they have a real passion for these Renaissance artists.
Chris hopes, through these talks, to show the humanity, strengths and weaknesses of artists who lived in a very different time to us and had to grapple with their personal beliefs whilst existing within societies prevailing systems.
The talks will be a part of the Sunday service at Helensville Community Church,
40 Mill Road, next to the Hospice Shop and opposite Mitre 10.
Services start at 10.30 and are of a ‘Cafe Style’, with food and drinks available throughout as the Church is set up around tables like a cafe.
There is no charge for food or drinks.