Industrial Relations Minister Kyam Maher has made an extraordinary response to a trading hours request from the Millicent Business Community Association.
Although Minister Maher will allow Millicent’s larger and regulated supermarkets Woolworths and Fosters Foodland to have their customary Sunday trading on three occasions in December and an extra late night on Monday, December 23, he has not approved the MBCA request for trading until 7pm on weekdays for most of December and January.
It is understood to be the first time an Industrial Relations Minister has declined an MBCA request.
Over the decades, Industrial Relations ministers have granted exemptions for trading around Easter and Christmas as well as such occasions as a basketball tournament and Geltwood Festival Market Days.
A spokesperson for Minister Maher has outlined his reasons to The SE Voice.
“The Shop Trading Hours Act 1977 (SA) does not provide for granting exemptions that are so extensive as to undermine the controls on shop trading hours set out in the Act,” the spokesperson said.
“Under the Act, Millicent is part of a Proclaimed Shopping District.
“The Wattle Range Council undertook consultation about the Proclaimed Shopping District in accordance with section 12 of the Act in 2006 and again in 2017, and on both occasions the local community voted for the retention of the Millicent Shopping District.
“It is for the Wattle Range Council to consider whether it wishes for Millicent to remain part of a Proclaimed Shopping District.”
Wattle Range Council chief executive Ben Gower said his council has not received any formal requests to vary the Millicent shop trading hours since its last review in 2017.
“However, council remains open to consider the matter should any member of the community wish to lodge one,” Mr Gower said.
“If a request were to be received, Wattle Range Council would conduct extensive consultation with the broader community before it made any further recommendations to the Minister.”
Millicent Business Community Association’s Dr Sarah McGrath provided a statement to The SE Voice regarding the matter.
“The Minister’s office has not rejected the short-term exemption, it has only rejected the parts of the request that were not within the scope of the rules for short term exemption,” Dr McGrath said.
“I have been delighted by the timely manner in which the Minister’s office has provided considered and informative guidance on this subject.
“As per all other years the Sunday requests and late-night trading for the 23rd of December has been granted.
“I appreciate the way the Minister has ensured to follow due process and has invited the Wattle Range Council to engage with our community on this subject.
“This is the appropriate course to ensure the best outcomes for our entire community are achieved.”
The Sydney headquarters of Woolworths did not provide a spokesperson for interview by The SE Voice but rather re-issued a previous recent media statement.
“While we have long supported the extension of trading hours in Millicent, we recognise there are a wide range of views on the topic,” the Woolworths spokesman said.
“We believe the local community should have access to greater flexibility to shop for essential food and groceries when it suits them.
“This would also benefit our Millicent team members, as more hours would become available for those who wanted to work them.
“We’ll continue being open to further discussion on trading hours in town.”
Member for MacKillop Nick McBride indicated he had an open mind on the trading hours issue.
“Millicent has always wanted to be treated differently in relation to its shop trading hours, and as the local MP, I have supported their decision to remain a Proclaimed Shopping District,” Mr McBride said.
“However, I understand the increase in grocery home deliveries from outside the Millicent area has resulted in some challenges for local businesses.
“The State Government’s decision not to grant the exemption provides the perfect opportunity for the Wattle Range Council and the Millicent Business Community Association to go back to the community to see if, after many years, it’s time for a change.
“As the local MP, i will support whatever the community decides.”
Fosters Foodland manager Dave Foster is comfortable with the four extra trading occasions in December and pleased that Minister Maher has not granted any additional weeknight hours.
According to Mr Foster, the status quo should otherwise remain.
He said the current trading hours had been in place for many years and suited Millicent.
His remarks were endorsed by Sukhi Dhaliwal who is the manager of the non-regulated IGA supermarket.
He said his IGA supermarket faced serious consequences and possibly closure if the trading hours in Millicent were to be extended.
According to Mr Dhaliwal, the IGA store relied on the night-time, Sunday and public holiday trade to remain viable as the two larger supermarkets had to remain closed at those times.
He said IGA had limited space and could not provide the range of goods as offered by the others.
“Since we took over the business, we have spent $1m on new floor coverings, automatic doors, shelves, freezers and refrigerators,” he said.
“Our next task is to paint the store in the IGA corporate colours.”
Millicent is the smallest town in South Australia to sustain three supermarkets.
In recent years, there has been a trend towards fewer trading hours in Millicent.
This course of action has been taken by the Millicent post office, a credit union, both banks, a pharmacy, public library, a licensed bottle shop and a thrift shop.
