Bunnings has lost its fight to open its stores on Easter Sunday, with the Administrative Decisions Tribunal rejecting the hardware store’s final appeal.
NSW state laws introduced last year prevent most retailers from opening in Easter Sunday as well as Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. However, small, family-owned businesses and retailers in tourist areas are not included in the ban.
Bunnings had first applied through the Office of Industrial Relations to open on Easter Sunday, but the state government had rejected it and so the company took it up with the tribunal.
NSW Industrial Relations Minister John Hatzistergos has welcomed the decision saying that it sends a strong message that days like Easter Sunday should be celebrated by the community whether it be for religious reasons, or time spent with family and friends.