As the result of a vote in Parliament on Wednesday, the decision over whether businesses can trade on Easter Sunday is over to local authorities.
"It’s great," Mr Worley said.
"It takes a lot of the negative aspects of Easter trading out of the issue."
Previously, it was the Government that set and administered the rules — allowing all Queenstown and Taupo businesses to open but only certain businesses in other places.
For Mr Worley, who owns Yes Photo and Digital and has deliberately flouted the law for almost a decade, the only consideration will continue to be the size of the fine he risks — at present $1000.
He has been convicted and fined once and was discharged on a second occasion.
"We’ve been doing what we’ve been doing for almost since we’ve been in business and I can’t see it changing."
He estimates there is a 90%-95% chance the council will make Easter Sunday trading legal.
Mr Worley said from a business perspective, it was more important to be open on Good Friday than Easter Sunday.
Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean yesterday described the decision to allow local authorities to deal with Easter Sunday trading as "momentous".
Ms Dean has long campaigned for a change in the law.
"This is a huge advance for tourist towns like Wanaka and it will put an end to the years of debate and uncertainty over this issue."
She credited Wanaka retailers for keeping the issue to the fore.
"I’d like to thank them for their patience, with many of them having to flout the law and face prosecution, while neighbouring businesses in Queenstown opened their doors on Easter Sunday without penalty.
"Imagine what this decision will mean for events like Warbirds Over Wanaka in 2018, when we have thousands of visitors from around New Zealand and overseas wanting to shop and spend in town on Easter Sunday."
Warbirds general manager Ed Taylor said yesterday allowing trading on Easter Sunday would have no real effect on the show but it would make "a bit of a difference" to Wanaka, putting it on a more even footing with Queenstown.
"It won’t be totally even because Queenstown can open all Easter ... but it will level the playing field a bit," he said.
"When you have visitors, especially international visitors, a lot of them are not used to having a town closed down."
While there are two meetings of the Queenstown Lakes District Council before the October 8 election, deputy mayor Lyal Cocks said is was possible but fairly unlikely Easter Sunday trading would be a matter dealt with by the current council.
The ODT has asked candidates for the new council for their position on the matter, and expects responses in the next few days.
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said the Dunedin City Council would discuss the issue with the Dunedin community before acting.
"We need to go to the community, and ask the community for a steer, then come up with something."
Mr Cull said the council would not need a request from businesses or others to begin the bylaw process.
The "devil will be in the detail" of regulations surrounding the legislation, which may constrain councils.
He was concerned about who might enforce the bylaw, if, for instance, the council decided against Easter trading and businesses broke the law.
"Is that another cost on local government that has to go out and enforce things that until now central government agencies have borne the cost of?"
It was also unclear who would enforce the rules if staff did not want to work at Easter, but were required to.
"I’m not damning it at all, I’m just saying there are questions that could add considerable cost to local government."
