Mandurah says "We want retail hours reform"

MANDURAH, Australia, Oct. 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 70% of adult residents living in the City of Mandurah support a proposal to bring the retail trade hours in the City of Mandurah inline with those of the Perth Metropolitan Area, according to a recent survey.

The survey also revealed that only 10% of adults in the City of Mandurah oppose normalising Mandurah's retail trade hours with the Perth Metro area.

The results were obtained in a Mandurah-wide telephone survey conducted on behalf of ISPT, owner of Lakelands Shopping Centre and interest-holders in Halls Head and Mandurah Forum. The survey was conducted by research experts Close at Hand Consultants. It had a sample size of 400 providing a 95% level of confidence with a 4.9% error margin.

Spokesperson for ISPT, Steve Cuzens, said that the results highlighted how commerce and jobs were being exported to neighbouring precincts, with it being a seven-minute drive from Lakelands to the nearest centre to the north trading under metropolitan rules.

"The survey has revealed that nearly one-in-five (18%) adult residents in the City of Mandurah have done grocery shopping out of the City in the past year and around one-in-ten (9%) have done so on a regular basis due to the restrictive shopping hours…that is an enormous amount of commerce and jobs needlessly being lost to Mandurah", he said.

It was also revealed that residents in the northern suburbs of the City of Mandurah were more likely than residents in other parts of the City of Mandurah to do some of their grocery shopping outside of the City of Mandurah because shops stay open longer elsewhere; Lakelands (46%), Madora Bay (39%), San Remo (30%) and Meadow Springs (24%). These results follow recent state-wide and national coverage over the profound local economic problems, with Mandurah having the nation's highest unemployment rate touching 20%.

According to Mr. Cuzens, there were many myths perpetuated around this issue including alleged cost increases and directives by centres for small tenants to open.

"The Retail Trade Act makes it illegal to compel tenants to open during extended hours. It is illegal for landlords to pass on costs relating to extended hours to those who do not open. It is illegal to direct tenants to open during extended hours", he said.

"It is essential to recognise that aligning Mandurah hours with the metropolitan area is not deregulation…its normalisation with Perth and most of the rest of the State", he said.

Mr Cuzens also said that the survey marked the start of the "Open Mandurah" campaign which would include a petition to Council and would not relent until Council delivered what the people wanted.

"We will campaign until trading hours are normalised with the metro area", he said.

ENDS

More information: Clint Ford 0418 652 851, clint.ford@clintfordandassociates.com