Six district councils that adopted policies to allow trading on Easter Sunday had let them lapse before this year's public holiday, putting some businesses at risk of enforcement action.

A law change in 2016 gave local councils the option to set their own rules for trading on Easter Sunday, on the condition the policy was reviewed within five years of being adopted. If a review didn't take place, the policies would be revoked after another two years.

Queenstown Lakes, Westland, Grey, Wairoa, Kawerau and Ōpōtiki district councils all adopted local Easter Sunday shop trading policies but had not reviewed them within the specified timeframe, for various reasons, so they were revoked ahead of Easter.

ACT MP Cameron Luxton said in some cases, councils had let the policies lapse unwittingly, so traders had been at risk of breaking the law. He said the confusion showed there was a clear need for reform.

"There's a super complicated amount of regulations over Easter weekend - four days and four different sets of rules."

Last month, a private member's bill by Luxton proposing to repeal Good Friday and Easter Sunday as restricted trading days was drawn from the ballot.

Cameron Luxton's private member's bill would standardise the rules around the country. PHOTO: VNP / Phil Smith

He said it would make things simpler over Easter by allowing businesses around the country to choose for themselves whether they wished to trade or not.

"What this bill will do is provide clarity for New Zealanders on how they spend their Easter weekend, so we don't end up, every Easter, every business in the country trying to figure out what the rules are."

He said councils that adopted policies had taken the initiative to enable more liberal trading over Easter weekend, but it had resulted in "a complicated patchwork of rules" that even local councils themselves could not keep up with.

"A lot of businesses who thought they could trade over Easter ended up getting a rude surprise that it might not be the case."

He said no-one was being well served by the law as it stood.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) adopted Easter Sunday trading policies in 2017 that lapsed before Easter this year. QLDC said it was awaiting the outcome of the member's bill before taking further action.

A QLDC spokesperson said central government had signalled an intention to review the Shop Trading Hours Act, which would likely change council jurisdiction regarding Easter Sunday trading.

"Hence, Queenstown Lakes District Council is deferring any review of the most recent policy, or creation of a new one, until quarter three of this year to see whether the matter has progressed at a national level.

"If it hasn't, we would expect to begin the process then."

PHOTO: Wānaka App