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Supermarkets and other retailers will be required to close for the entirety of ANZAC Day, under changes announced by the NSW Government.

Under the Retail Trading Act, such businesses are currently allowed to reopen at 1pm but the new rules will see them forced to close until midnight. 

Small businesses or those not considered to be retailers will still be able to trade for the entire day. Businesses with exemptions, such as takeaway outlets, cafes, pharmacies and markets, will also be unaffected by the change. 

A review of ANZAC Day trading was held last year and the NSW Government says the majority of submissions supported extending restrictions to the whole day. 

“For Australians, no occasion could be more solemn or significant than ANZAC Day,” said Premier Chris Minns. 

“It might be inconvenient for a few hours, but closing our biggest corporate shops for a single day is a small price to pay for living in a free and open democracy,” he said. 

In a statement issued by the government, RSL NSW President Mick Bainbridge supported the change. 

“Too often, the pastoral needs of veterans, and the friends and families who support them, are overlooked,” he said. 

“This is an opportunity for them to take time away from work on this special day to commemorate their service.” 

The SDA Union had mounted a campaign pushing for change, titled ‘ANZAC Day is for remembering, not shopping’. 

ANZAC Day trading hours are set by state and territory governments and differ across the country. The policies in Victoria and Queensland vary but both allow trading after 1pm, while Tasmania allows businesses to open after 12.30pm. 

In South Australia, some stores can operate between 12pm and 5pm in the Adelaide CBD. In Western Australia, businesses close the whole day, apart from those with exemptions. 

The ACT and Northern Territory have no trading restrictions on ANZAC Day.