Sydney retailers are able to trade 24-hours-a-day from today until Christmas, thanks to a landmark decision by the NSW Government.
For the first time, retailers in the Sydney CBD, Bondi Junction, Liverpool, Blacktown and Penrith will be able to extend their opening hours through the night without applying to the planning department.
The decision is seen as a way to boost retail after the latest Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index revealed consumer sentiment has fallen for the ninth straight month.
“Previously shops would be required to either lodge a new development application or modify their existing planning approval with their local council which, on average has taken 68 days to be approved,” Planning Minister Pru Goward told the Daily Telegraph.
“This costs our retailers valuable time and money when trying to apply for a planning approval.
“This has meant smaller retailers, in the past, would not bother making the effort to extend their trading hours for just two weeks of the year.”
Russell Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Australian Retailers Association, said the retail industry strongly supports the Government’s decision.
“This move should help NSW in continuing to be the growth engine for the Australian economy while other states are going through structural adjustment,” Mr Zimmerman said.
“With only 14 days until Christmas, we’re confident that this move will also support the ARA’s predicted pre-Christmas sales figure of $45 billion to go through retail tills before 24 December 2014.”