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Residents of Western Australia will receive two extra days off under an overhaul of the state’s public holiday calendar.
The updated schedule will now feature a new weekday public holiday, named Show Day, to align with the first Monday of the September-October school holidays.
An additional day off will be Easter Saturday, aligning Western Australia with other mainland states that already recognize this day as an official holiday, along with Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday.
Other changes include shifting WA Day from June to the second Monday in November when the weather is usually sunnier.
But residents will still enjoy a winter day off, with the King’s Birthday public holiday will moving to the second Monday in June from September.
This adjustment will also shift the date of Labour Day to the second Monday in March to be more in sync with other states. During state election years, the public holiday will be observed on the third Monday in March, to prevent elections from coinciding with a long weekend.
The changes mean WA will have a total of 13 public holidays every year, the same as Victoria and the ACT.
The new schedule for public holidays will be introduced into state parliament this week, with a planned rollout in 2028.
The WA government says it received 10,000 submissions from community groups, businesses and members of the public before it announced the reforms.
Premier Roger Cook says the changes are about ”modernising” the WA public holiday calendar to better serve the community.
“By introducing two new public holidays—Easter Saturday and Show Day—we’re crafting a schedule that better suits the rhythm of life in WA,” he said.
“And by realigning three existing ones, we are supporting productivity and economic activity across the state.”