TREASURER Rob Lucas will now determine if three regulated shops in Millicent should be granted special permission to trade on Geltwood Market Day and Easter Saturday.
The application for an exemption for both April 7 and April 20 was submitted to the State Government by Millicent Business Community Association secretary Marg Chapple yesterday.
Ms Chapple told The South Eastern Times no objections to the extended trading proposal were received during a community consultation period lasting several days.
Easter Saturday is a designated public holiday and so an exemption must always be obtained, while extended trading on Geltwood Market Day has taken place for over 15 years.
Millicent has a Proclaimed Shopping District and Woolworths, Foster’s Foodland and Target Country are regulated under the Shop Trading Act of 1977.
They will be shut on the three other days of the Easter holiday long weekend.
The 2019 application seeks trading from 9am-5pm on Geltwood Market Day and 7am-5pm on Easter Saturday.
Target Country approached the business association with a request to trade on those two days and the community group then set in place the legislative requirements to secure the exemption.
The association passed a motion in support of the extended trading at its monthly meeting on February 13.
It also wrote to its 70 members and Wattle Range Council about the proposal and its leadership used various media outlets to promote its community consultation.
The South Eastern Times understands the lead agency Safework SA will now examine the association’s application and then make a recommendation to Mr Lucas for his final determination.
“Mr Lucas will consider the application as soon as possible,” his spokesperson said.
