Wellington Shire customer service manager Colin Adams said the shire-wide crackdown was in response to requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

''It's to provide equal access to all pedestrians,'' he said.

Mr Adams said the laws meant goods must be displayed a minimum of 1.5m from the store front ''which means you should be able to see down the whole street without having obstruction''.

Mr Adams said the laws had been in place for some time but the shire was starting to enforce them more heavily.

''We've had extensive discussion with traders, especially in Sale; they knew it was coming,'' Mr Adams said.

''So far there's been good compliance in Sale - we haven't had too many problems.''

But Mr Adams said there had been some problems with store owners in other areas in Wellington Shire.

''It's something we have to be careful with in negotiating outcomes,'' he said.

''People can go to extremes so we have to negotiate to get an outcome that is suitable for them.

''For instance the item being displayed can be the wrong height or hard to see and is not appropriate.

''These are things we have to develop over time.

''It's in place with similar guidelines introduced across the state.''

Manager of Leading Edge Music in Sale Neville Gutteridge, who displays a number of goods outside his Raymond St store, said the laws were yet to cause a problem.

''There hasn't been any problems at this stage _ if anything it will probably be better,'' he said.

But Mr Gutteridge said Leading Edge now had to be ''extra careful'' displaying its goods in changing weather conditions.

''The only problem I can see is the weather,'' he said.

''We have to be extra vigilant now to go and drag all our stuff back in if it rains.

''Also the sunlight can fade the (CD) covers.''