Easter Sunday trading has been made legal in Marlborough in time for this year's Easter airshow at Omaka, when more than 30,000 visitors are expected to pour into the region.

The region's new rules, which have been in the works for months, were formally adopted on Thursday.

They allow all businesses in Marlborough to trade, but gives employees who want to spend time with their families the right to decline work.

Eighteen written submissions were made to the Marlborough District Council on the issue, but only three people spoke at council hearings.

Marlborough Chamber of Commerce general manager Stephen Gullery said the chamber was happy the bylaw had been passed with protection for workers.

It had always seemed inconsistent to him shops in tourist regions such as Wanaka and Queenstown could get special dispensation to open on Easter Sunday, but Blenheim businesses could not.

"We hope that businesses will take the opportunity to be open on that day," Gullery said.

Good Friday was still a restricted trading day, however there were exemptions in place for businesses serving food and drink, such as cafes, restaurants and bars.

Quilter's Barn owner Fiona Higgins said she thought the bylaw change was good news for the district, enabling businesses to capitalise on the airshow if they wanted to.

The biennial Yealands Classic Fighters would be held on the weekend of April 14. It traditionally brought more than 35,000 visitors into the district.

Nativity Anglican Church vicar Bob Barnes said he was disappointed by the decision, saying low-income workers would find themselves in a position where if they did not want to work on Easter Sunday companies would hire someone who would instead.

"I thought [the council] would have had some more fibre," he said.

Barnes made a submission opposing Easter Trading, not on religious grounds but due to the concerns he had about its social effects.

The fact the grape harvest coincided with Easter put a lot of pressure on families in Marlborough, he said.

He already knew of qualified tradespeople who were under pressure to work seven days a week.

Source : News