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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 revamped schedule will include a new weekday public holiday, known as Show Day, to coincide with the first Monday of the September-October school holidays.
The other new day off will be Easter Saturday, bringing WA into line with other mainland states which already have the 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.
The shake-up will also mean a change in the date of Labour Day to the second Monday in March to better align with other states. In state election years, this will be tweaked by holding the public holiday on the third Monday in March, to avoid holding an election on 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 adding two new public holidays – Easter Saturday and Show Day – we’re creating a schedule that better matches the rhythm of life in WA,” he said.
“And by realigning three existing ones, we are supporting productivity and economic activity across the state.”