New Bill introduced.

The State Government hopes to deliver more freedom to consumers, traders and employees as it introduces Parliament legislation to reform South Australian shop trading laws.

The Retail Trading Bill 2018 would repeal and replace existing laws (Shop Trading Hours Act 1977).

Treasurer Rob Lucas said South Australians overwhelmingly supported deregulating shop trading hours, which Competition Policy Review research showed creates jobs and stimulates economic growth.

“Quite frankly, it’s absurd – in this day and age – that you can buy products online twenty-four hours a day but you can’t open some supermarkets at 9am on a Sunday,” Treasurer Lucas said.

“It doesn’t make any sense that you can buy a box of chocolates at 9.30pm on a Friday night in Mount Barker, but travel up the road to Stirling and that same shop would be forced to close. These laws have penalised hardworking traders for far too long and all we are saying is, if shops want to open, consumers want to shop and workers are prepared to work, then they should be allowed to.

“Deregulation has been working successfully in regional South Australia for years, without the sky falling in, so retailers and customers in metropolitan Adelaide should be given the same choice,” he added.