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With Easter fast approaching, here’s a reminder of the new rules for trading during the upcoming weekend in Tauranga. 

Easter Sunday has traditionally been a restricted trading day, with only a few types of shops allowed to open. In 2016 Parliament gave territorial authorities the power to create local policies that allow shop trading on Easter Sunday. 

Following consultation with the community, Tauranga City Council adopted an Easter Sunday Shop Trading Policy in November last year, allowing all shops across Tauranga to trade on Easter Sunday if they wish to.

What this means: 

• All shops are allowed to open on Easter Sunday, should they wish to;
• This applies to the entire city, including all suburbs (e.g. Papamoa, Mount Maunganui, Bethlehem, Greerton etc.);
• Liquor licensing provisions still apply. If a venue was not previously allowed to sell alcohol on Easter Sunday, this doesn’t change. Alcohol must continue to only be sold with a meal at restaurants and cafés.

In addition: 

• Employees are entitled by law to refuse to work on Easter Sunday, without having to give a reason. Further information and resources for employees and employers are available on the Employment New Zealand website.
• Easter Sunday is not a public holiday and Good Friday remains a public holiday with restricted trading. The rules set by the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990 apply on Good Friday, meaning only some shops can open, on certain conditions. See the Employment New Zealand webpage above for details.