The National Retail Association (NRA) has presented its case in front of the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC) in a bid to extend trading hours for all retailers in south east Queensland.
During the first day of what is expected to be a three-week hearing, the NRA is pushing for retailers in the region to be allowed to open from 7am-9pm Monday to Saturday to adapt to a consumer lifestyle shift.
If the hearing is successful, trading hours will be harmonised across 10 separate zones currently operating in south east Queensland.
NRA CEO Trevor Evans believes the current rules are outdated and find retailers struggling to compete with the accessibility of online shopping.
“These trading hours rules were created around the same time that Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web, so it’s pretty safe to say it’s time for an update.
“This does not represent any radical shift in the balance currently struck by the trading hours rules, but it will get us as close as is possible to having one consistent set of rules again, at least within the south east corner.
“Customer shopping habits have been changing over recent years.
“Fewer of us are working standard hours and many people are leading busier lives and juggling commitments at the times we used to shop.
“We are not living in a closed domestic market, but are competing against online and overseas competitors who are open essentially 24 hours a day.”
The NRA reportedly lodged the application to extend trade in south east Queensland in October 2014, with Evans believing the push could add an estimated $111 million to Queensland's economy and create around 1000 new jobs.
“Queensland has the most complex trading hours rules in Australia, with 98 pages of legislation, regulations and instruments, containing more than 180 legal obligations and prohibitions. The state has 50 different trading hours zones, each with its own different rules.
“These laws are confusing for everyone, they are prohibitive to job creation because they don’t allow retailers to cater to their customers’ needs, and they are not in line with how people work and live in 2015.”