New South Wales could soon get a new public holiday, with Premier Chris Minns revealing the state may follow Western Australia and the ACT in granting a Monday off when Anzac Day falls on a weekend.
Speaking to Triple M Breakfast on Thursday, Minns said the government is weighing up the change, which would bring NSW into line with other states that already allow workers to take the Monday off when April 25 lands on a Saturday or Sunday.
‘We’ve never had it if it’s fallen on a weekend,’ Minns said.
‘But Western Australia and the ACT have recently changed it so that, if it’s a Saturday or a Sunday, then you get the following Monday off.’
The Premier stressed he is not making a commitment just yet, but confirmed the idea is on the table.
He said he will consult with RSL NSW officials before coming to any decision.
‘I’m not committing to that today, because I think that this is a decision that we’ve got to make with the RSL in particular. We’ve got a lot of veterans. Anzac Day… it really is our national day.’
Minns stressed the importance of maintaining the significance of Anzac Day itself, insisting any Monday public holiday must not overshadow the commemorative day.
Chris Minns (pictured) said the government was considering an extra public holiday in NSW
NSW would be given an extra public holiday in the case that Anzac Day fell on a weekend
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Should NSW finally match other states and give workers a Monday off when Anzac Day falls on a weekend?
‘I’ve got to have confidence that… a public holiday on the Monday doesn’t detract from the salience of the 25th,’ he said.
‘I’d hate for that to happen, and everyone kind of goes, “commemorate it on the Monday”. We can’t do that.’
Minns said NSW lags behind other states on the number of public holidays.
‘We’re underserved when it comes to public holidays, there’s a lot more in every other state,’ he said.
‘So I can say to you guys, we’re going to have a conversation about it for this year.’
Anzac Day falls on a weekend in both 2026 (Saturday) and 2027 (Sunday), meaning NSW workers are set to miss out on a weekday off for two years running.
If the move goes ahead, millions of NSW workers could soon enjoy an extra-long weekend in April, without dipping into their annual leave.
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