Extra public holiday for NSW under consideration as Anzac Day falls on weekend, premier says | New South Wales

The New South Wales government is mulling a late attempt to add a public holiday to create a long Anzac Day weekend in line with Western Australia and the ACT.

Prime Minister Chris Minns said on Thursday his government was in talks to create a new public holiday as Anzac Day falls on Saturday.

Commemorations will be held across the country on April 25, but only people in Western Australia and the ACT will have an additional public holiday next Monday.

“You can’t get time off, not just this year but next year,” Minns told Triple M radio on Thursday.

“And we are underserved when it comes to public holidays, there are so many more in other states.”

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“This year we will talk about it.”

Discussions will be held with the RSL to ensure that the creation of a long weekend does not diminish the impact of the national day of remembrance.

“I need to have confidence that if we have a bank holiday on Monday, it will not diminish the salience of the 25th,” Minns said.

“It must be the 25th of the very important month.”

The Victorian government and business groups, which also did not implement the Monday holiday, were contacted for comment.

Anzac Day is one of 10 public holidays that will be recognized nationwide in 2026.

Most Australians get three or four more, including those in Victoria, Queensland, the ACT and South Australia.

But there are only two extra celebrations in NSW: the King’s Birthday in June and Labor Day in October.

Christmas Island is celebrating an extra six, including two for the lunar new year in mid-February.