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The shop trading hours working group has recommended easing Easter Sunday trading restrictions.
The working group was established in February by Labour Minister Margaret Wilson to give assistance and independent advice to the Commerce select committee currently considering the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act (Abolition of Restrictions) private member's bill.
The committee has decided to call for public submissions on the group's report.
The report, available on the Department of Labour's website, puts forward two options. Both allow more shops to open on Easter Sunday.
The first option would see the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act 1990 amended to allow Easter Sunday trading across the board.
The second option would empower territorial local authorities to use by-laws to allow shops to open on Easter Sunday. Local authorities would be able to exempt particular shops, groups of shops or all shops in their area. Under both options, the responsibility for enforcing the rules would remain with central government.
The group recommends both options be subject to employee protections - essentially, working Easter Sunday would be voluntary for employees facing new opening hours.
The group did not reach agreement on whether employees should receive extra pay for working Easter Sunday, which is not a public holiday.
The Commerce select committee will receive submissions on the working group's report until 4 September, and is due to report back to parliament on 18 December.
The report is available here.
The recent earthquake centred in Pahiatua has once again made many of us think of how well prepared we are to cope with natural disasters.
New Zealanders have been lucky when it comes to natural disasters, but we can't count on this luck lasting forever.
New Zealand's last major natural disaster, Cyclone Bola, occurred in March 1988 and while New Zealand is in many ways a blessed country, it is also an unstable, unpredictable land.
Earthquakes are not unknown, we live among volcanoes and many of our areas, including Wairarapa, are subject to floods, storms, tsunami and other natural disasters.
Our best protection is our preparedness.
Civil Defence is currently calling for public submissions on the proposed National Civil Defence Emergency Management Strategy, the framework of which was established under the new Civil Defence Emergency Management Act 2002 and which sets out the Crown's priorities for emergency management for the next decade.
I'd like as many people as possible to put their two cents in because the reality is natural and unnatural disasters can destroy New Zealanders' lives, property, infrastructure and livelihoods.
Copies of the Strategy and submission guidelines were available by phoning the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management 04 473 7363, by writing to the Ministry at PO Box 5010, Wellington or from www.civildefence.govt.nz.
Submissions close on 12 September 2003.
I understand about 100 people attended a Conservation Week event on our southern coast last Monday.
The Group met at Ngawi Fire Station and then drove around to Matakitaki Fishing Reserve (Fishing Rocks), where Haami Te Whaiti described some of the legends and historical significance of the area.
Anne Aburn spoke about the early European's arrival and settlement into the area and the group then moved on to Black Rocks, where Dr Janet Davidson described archaeological findings on pre-European fishing and crayfishing.
Dr Foss Leach guided the group around the Pararaki and Washpool Rivers and talked about pre-European Māori settlements, patterns and life in these areas.
Lunch was then held at Pirinoa Hall, where people were given the opportunity to see displays and discuss conservation issues further.
My thanks to all those who organised this wonderful day. I am buddy MP to Nelson and was accompanying the Prime Minister on her trip there, so I was very sorry to have missed the trip around the coast.
I would like to extend a personal invitation to anyone interested in discussing the Government's proposed Agricultural Emissions Research Levy with Climate Change Minister Pete Hodgson and myself to a meeting in Masterton Town Hall on Tuesday night (August 12).
I arranged the meeting because although neither Mr Hodgson nor myself could attend a recent Federated Farmers meeting on the subject, we both want to talk with Wairarapa people, particularly the rural community, on the issue.
There is a lot of misunderstanding around, both on this policy and on the broader issue of climate change and agriculture. This meeting is an opportunity for farmers and the Government to hear each other out.
The meeting begins at 7:30pm and there will be tea and coffee afterwards.
Finally my thanks to Inspector Rod Drew for the outstanding service he has given Wairarapa during his time as area controller in Masterton, particularly considering the extremely difficult investigations he has had to oversee, and congratulations on his promotion.
It was with great sadness that I learnt of his departure and I wish him all the best in his new role.
I look forward to working with his replacement, Inspector John Johnson.
Again I welcome any feedback on any matters raised in this column or other issues you might feel strongly about through email gbeyer@wise.net.nz or post to PO Box 913, Masterton.
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