Community still divided as City of Albany trading hours survey draws to a close

As the deadline to vote in the City of Albany’s third survey on trading hour deregulation approaches, many residents have different opinions about the issue. The Albany Advertiser polled 20 small retail business staff and pedestrians along York Street, revealing a fairly even mix of responses with seven for and eight against a policy change, and five fence-sitters. Retail assistant at Asara Jewellery Jodie Collinge said though she does not want to work on Sundays, it doesn’t mean others feel the same. “We can currently open on a Sunday but choose not to,” she said. “There just isn’t the demand for it, even in the high season. “But just because I personally don’t want to work or shop on a Sunday doesn’t mean other people don’t, so I won’t take that option away from them.” One York St small business owner who asked not to be named said he thinks the current policy should be left as is. “In my opinion, the only benefit is to Coles and Woolies,” he said. “I don’t see the point in changing really, the foot traffic goes where it may and people can always order groceries online if they really want to food shop on a Sunday.” More than 60 general retail outlets, including an additional 10 stores within Albany Plaza and Chester Pass Mall, cannot trade on Sundays under the current policy. Albany is the biggest local government area in WA that does not allow Sunday trading in some capacity, since the 2012 WA Retail Trading Hours Act made it an option for the State. The survey closes on May 31, with the City of Albany council to discuss the results at the June or July meeting.