Trading (Allowable Hours) Amendment Bill 2017

Overview

This bill rewrites Queensland's shop trading hours rules, replacing dozens of separate orders with a single set of hours written directly into the Trading (Allowable Hours) Act 1990. It allows more shops to open longer and more consistently across the state, adds new types of exempt shops, and protects workers who don't want to work the extra hours.

Who it affects

Shoppers, retail workers, shop owners, and tourism businesses across Queensland - especially those in south-east Queensland, tourist areas, and regional towns that are closed on Sundays.

Key changes

• Standardised trading hours are written into the Act: generally 7am-9pm weekdays and 9am-6pm Sundays in south-east Queensland, with longer hours in tourist areas
• More shop types are now 'exempt' and can trade any hours, including butchers, airport shops, casino shops, and off-shore island tourist resorts
• Independent retail shops can have up to 30 staff at any one time (up from 20), or 100 across multiple shops (up from 60)
• Employers cannot force staff to work the new extended hours - workers must agree in writing, and coercion or rostering alone doesn't count
• Westfield Chermside and Garden City must close at 6pm on Christmas Eve (previously 9pm) but can trade 24 hours from 8am on 23 December
• Regional towns outside south-east Queensland that don't currently trade on Sundays stay closed unless their area applies and is approved by regulation
• Shops in Mossman and Port Douglas get no trading hours restrictions for five years
• Most new trading hours applications to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission are blocked for five years
• Shops that trade outside permitted hours face fines of up to $4,876 (individuals) or $24,380 (companies) based on 2016 penalty unit values