The Anzac Day public holiday in the ACT could soon be locked in for good. On 21 October 2026, the ACT Government introduced legislation that, if passed, would make 25 April a public holiday in the Territory every year, even when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
What does the Anzac Day public holiday bill do?
The Holidays (Anzac Day) Amendment Bill 2026 would amend the Holidays Act 1958 so that 25 April is always a public holiday, whatever day of the week it falls on. When Anzac Day lands at the weekend, the following Monday would be a public holiday too.
At the moment, the Act only moves the holiday to Monday when 25 April falls on a Sunday. There’s no automatic arrangement for a Saturday. Michael Pettersson, the Minister for Skills, Training and Industrial Relations, said the change would end the need for one-off declarations to protect Anzac Day observances when the date falls at the weekend.
“We are introducing legislation to ensure everyone can recognise and observe Anzac Day every year,” Mr Pettersson said.
Is it in force yet?
No. The bill was introduced on 21 October 2026 and still has to pass the ACT Legislative Assembly. Until it does, the current case-by-case approach applies. Under that approach, the government has already said Sunday 25 April and Monday 26 April 2027 will both be public holidays.
Do I need to do anything?
Not at this stage. Workers and businesses in the ACT don’t need to take any action. If the bill passes, the new Anzac Day public holiday arrangements will apply automatically, though employers may want to factor them into future rosters.
How was the proposal developed?
A public consultation ran from 14 August to 11 September 2026. Employer and industry groups, employee representatives, veterans’ representatives and government stakeholders all had their say. Opinions were mixed on whether there should be an extra public holiday, but every stakeholder agreed that Anzac Day’s significance must be preserved.
How often will a weekend Anzac Day public holiday come up?
More often than you might think. Extra holidays were declared in 2020, 2021 and 2026 when the date fell at the weekend. After 2027, Anzac Day won’t fall at the weekend again until 2032. Over the next 15 years it will happen four times: in 2027, 2032, 2037 and 2038.
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Source: ACT Government – Fixing the Anzac Day public holiday issue. For good. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
