Millions of Australians will miss out on a long weekend this April. Anzac Day falls on a Saturday in 2026. State governments are sharply divided on how to compensate workers for the weekend clash. Employees in New South Wales, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory will receive a substitute public holiday on Monday, April 27.
Workers in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory will not.
Official Dawn Services and marches remain scheduled nationwide for Saturday, April 25. The legislative split over the Monday substitute highlights a stark regional divide. The National Employment Standards dictate baseline entitlements, but individual states control their specific statutory calendars, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli confirmed his state will not implement an additional public holiday. Victoria will enforce its restricted trading rules on Saturday without extending statutory leave into the workweek. This fragmented approach to employment law mirrors broader world labor trends where regional jurisdictions frequently override federal guidelines.
How the Minns Government Rewrote the NSW Calendar
The inclusion of New South Wales in the Monday holiday marks a historic legislative shift. The state previously refused to grant an extra public holiday when Anzac Day clashed with a weekend. This calendar alignment occurs roughly twice every seven years. NSW historically granted workers substitute days for Christmas and New Year’s Day, but excluded Anzac Day.
In February 2026, NSW Premier Chris Minns formally announced the new policy to cover both 2026 and 2027. He stated the policy change ensures workers do not lose a statutory day off. NSW historically observed only 11 public holidays, falling behind states like Victoria and Queensland.
The shift creates a sudden financial burden for small business sectors and retail associations. Employers must now pay mandatory public holiday penalty rates for Monday operations across NSW, WA, and the ACT, according to a detailed report by The Guardian released earlier this year.