General retail shops allowed to trade on Monday of Anzac Day holiday

4/3/98

General retail shops will be permitted to trade between 8am and 6pm on the Monday holiday of the Anzac Day long weekend, Fair Trading Minister Doug Shave announced today.

Mr Shave said that under the Public and Bank Holidays Act 1992, shops were required to close on Saturday, April 25 - the gazetted Anzac Day holiday.

"In addition, the Act also requires general retail shops to close on Monday, April 27 - however, this would mean shops would be closed three days in a row," the Minister said.

Mr Shave said he had accepted the recommendation of the Retail Shops Advisory Committee to allow general shops to trade on the Monday.

He said peak industry and consumer groups had also been consulted on the issue before a decision was reached by the committee to recommend an exemption.

"General retail shops will still close on Saturday, allowing shop workers to observe Anzac Day along with the rest of the community," he said.

A precedent for an exemption was set in 1992, when Anzac Day last fell on a Saturday.

General shops in the Perth and Fremantle tourist precincts may trade on Sunday, April 26, in line with usual trading arrangements for those areas.

Media contact: Anabel Gomez 9366 0300