Queensland's retail trading hours will become more standardised across the state after reforms passed state parliament, though some changes won't come into effect for years.
The reforms include provisions to expand trading hours for retailers like hardware stores and butchers, while also allowing Sunday trading for stores previously blocked.
But a number of amendments have been made to the initial bill, including a five-year moratorium on retailers applying to trade on Sundays for the first time.
There are 21 regions outside southeast Queensland which aren't designated a "large" centre or a regional tourist hub, including Mt Isa and Proserpine, which will be barred from applying for Sunday trading.
The National Retailers Association, which represents large department and chain stores, is angry about the amendments, which weren't in the recommendations of the original review of trading hours.
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NRA chief executive Dominique Lamb said on Tuesday the changes now were so watered down they wouldn't make a difference.
"Queensland retailers have been fighting with one arm tied behind their backs as they are forced to close their doors and hand the market over to internet stores and overseas competition from the likes of Amazon," she said.
"Now their state government has tied the other arm behind their backs as well."
But the state's Liberal National Party opposition, which pushed for the amendments, claimed them as a win for smaller retailers.
"The LNP is supporting these amendments because they will effectively give a moratorium on no additional trading hours for Coles and Woolies for five years in areas that don't have those extended trading hours at the moment," LNP Industrial Relations spokesman Jarrod Bleijie said.
"That is good news for our small and independent operators right across Queensland."
Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace insisted the Labor government had got the balance right by implementing the five-year moratorium.
"Rather than this revolving door of instability around trading hours in this state, there will not be now an opt-in," she said. "We will keep it the way it is for stability not only for small business but for large business.
" I guess if you've got both sides a little unhappy you must know the balance is right."
