The Newsagents Association of NSW and ACT has called on the state government to embrace proposed legislation by the opposition that would keep newsagencies and small businesses as the primary distributors of NSW Lotteries tickets.
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The NSW Lotteries Agency Protection Period expires in April.
The new agreement would allow major supermarket chains to sell lottery tickets and scratchies, potentially drawing customers away from newsagencies.
“Around 1500 newsagents [in NSW] and other small businesses will face financial hardship and possible closure when the current Agency Protection Period expires in April,” a statement from Opposition Leader Luke Foley and opposition spokesman for small business Adam Searle said yesterday.
The opposition said that if they were to gain power in March’s state election they would enact laws that preserved the current agency protections until such time as the parties reached agreement on new terms; continue to restrict outlets selling lottery products to newsagencies and other small businesses; and they work with local newsagents and the private operator to ensure a sensible commercial arrangement is established that is fair to all parties.
“Labor has listened to our concerns,” a newsagents’ association statement said.
“More importantly, they have translated them into a very workable, practical and viable solution.
“This proposal is the right balance.
“It inserts a circuit breaker to allow unhurried negotiation.
“It removes the looming fear of the drop-dead date of 1 April.
“It has negotiation oversight to ensure fairness.
“We call on the government to put politics aside and embrace the mechanics of this proposal.”
In November last year, a Maitland West End Newsagency petition collected more than 130 signatures in support of the prevention of supermarkets from selling lottery tickets.
