Councillors carried the motion not to make a submission when they voted in the full council meeting yesterday.

While some councillors wished to allow a submission due to personal opinions, it was acknowledged the interests of the community’s small businesses would conflict with the community’s desire for Sunday trading of larger businesses.

Cr Joyce McCulloch suggested the motion for the council not to make a submission, and to instead allow the community to do so.

Her personal view was not to allow Sunday trading.

Cr McCulloch said her mother used to own a small grocery store in Cloncurry, so she empathised with the struggles of small businesses.

But Mount Isa’s population had changed in the past decade and the general view of the community appeared to support Sunday trading, Cr McCulloch said.

She said the submissions should be left to the community.

Cr Jean Ferris said the small businesses would close if bigger ones were allowed to open on Sunday.

“We have to look at the big picture, people work at these places,” Cr Ferris said.

Cr Brett Peterson disagreed, believing Mount Isa locals would support their small businesses regardless.

“I live near a corner store, I’m not going to drive past our store to go to Woolworths to buy bread,” Cr Peterson said.

“The majority of people will still support smaller businesses in Mount Isa.” 

Cr Kim Coghlan said the council needed to protect small businesses because they were the ones that gave back to the community.

She said that the larger businesses did not.

Cr Tony McGrady agreed with Cr McCulloch that people’s shopping habits had changed.

After the vote he said: “The council should remain neutral and not make a submission.”