Wanaka shop owners are looking forward to trading on Easter Sunday without fear of prosecution, but still plan to open on Good Friday.
Wanaka Photo and Digital store owner Steve Worley has been prosecuted twice in the past 15 years for opening on a ''restricted trading day'', charges he fought in court.
He said no-one had complained about his store being open on restricted trading days.
''In fact we had lots thanking us and happy they could buy something they urgently needed for their holiday.''
Last year Parliament decided to change the Shop Trading Hours Act to allow local councils to decide whether their retailers could open on Easter Sunday.
Until this year, Queenstown had traditionally been exempt from the Easter Sunday restriction. Last month the Queenstown Lakes District Council removed that anomaly and voted to allow all shops except those selling or supplying alcohol to trade on Easter Sunday throughout the district.
Mr Worley said allowing trading on Easter Sunday and not Good Friday was only a ''halfway measure.''
He said he would have preferred the council to allow trading on Good Friday as well as Easter Sunday as ''Monday to Friday is much more of a normal working week.''
Department of Labour Inspectorate regional manager David Milne said if businesses traded on Good Friday they could be fined up to $1000, especially if they had been previously warned and prosecuted.
Mr Worley said he intended opening on Good Friday and if he was prosecuted he would ''wear it on the chin.''
Pembroke Wines owner John Hallum said he was disappointed the exemption to sell alcohol on Easter Sunday had not been lifted but believed it would come in time.
''The Government and council are going to have to look at it in ... tourist areas like Queenstown and Wanaka, as it's frustrating for visitors when they come here and they can't buy a wine or a beer except with food.''
''On the other hand, we've had such an incredibly busy summer I'm actually looking forward to having Good Friday and Easter Sunday off.''
