More facts on the impact of Sunday trading are needed before another application
can be submitted for Warwick.
This is the view of Warwick Chamber of Commerce president David Littleproud who spoke to the Southern Free Times following the Industrial Relations Commission’s rejection of the recent application.
Mr Littleproud said it was found that the public opinion against Sunday trading, which was expressed in the surveys conducted by both the Southern Downs Regional Council and the Chamber, despite its flaws, outweighed the economic and tourism benefits of Sunday trading.
He said there were 23,000 working hours that could be obtained on an annual basis through Sunday trading in Warwick.
Mr Littleproud said the Warwick Chamber of Commerce was disappointed that Sunday trading was approved in Toowoomba without taking into consideration the effect it would have on surrounding areas.
“We want to get an idea of the dollar costs in slippage to Toowoomba,” he said.
“The other issue retailers have to face is the retail sales on the internet.”
Southern Downs Regional Mayor Ron Bellingham thought the decision reflected the general community’s view on this issue.