Local councils have voted to shift the date of South Canterbury Anniversary Day to November 11, after the original date of September 26 clashed with the one-off public holiday being held to mark New Zealand's memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II.
Timaru District Council communications manager Stephen Doran told 1News that the councils' public survey on the decision, which closed at 11.59pm on Friday, received 8270 submissions. Of those submissions, more than 86% were in favour of the date change.
Waimate District Council was the first to make their decision today, with seven votes to two in favour of November 11.
Later, both Mackenzie District Council and Timaru District Council also approved the shift.
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A number of residents in the region had complained about the clash.
Wendy Smith, chief executive of the South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, told 1News when Queen Elizabeth II Memorial Day was announced: "We understand that under the Holidays Act when two public holidays fall on the same day, employees only get one day off.
"From the feedback we have received this would not be a scenario that would be accepted by employees – and understandably so as the rest of the country gains another public holiday."
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And the business community's reaction to the clash was mixed, Smith said, with some concerned at missing out on a day that attracts visitors to the region and others concerned at the costs that a day's public holiday brings.
"Other businesses have already asked the Chamber to lobby to permanently shift the South Canterbury Anniversary to Canterbury Anniversary as they believe this will minimise disruption to business."
New Zealand's State Memorial Service for the late monarch on September 26 will be held in the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul.
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