What’s open and closed over the Australia Day weekend

Australia Day (January 26th) falls on a Sunday this year, but Australians won’t miss out on a long weekend as the following Monday (January 27th) will be observed as a national public holiday.

It’s worth a quick look at how the holiday will affect trading hours across the nation.

In NSW, ACT, Northern Territory, Tasmania and Victoria it’s pretty much business as usual, as businesses aren’t subject to restricted trading hours on public holidays, including Monday January 27th. Normal Sunday trading applies on January 26th, which is unrestricted in these states.

In Queensland, most independent retailers and other exempt shops aren’t subject to restricted trading hours on the Australia Day weekend, including Monday January 27th.

Normal Sunday trading applies on January 26th, which in Queensland is unrestricted for independent retailers and other exempt shops.

Non-exempt shops, including large retailers and shops selling motor vehicles or caravans, vary across the state, split into four distinct regions. More detail on exact opening times and a full list of exempt shops is available on Business Queensland’s website.

In Western Australia, general retail shops located in Perth’s metropolitan area are allowed to trade from 8am to 6pm on Monday January 27th.

Normal Sunday trading hours (11am to 5pm) apply for general retail shops in the Perth metropolitan area.

Restaurants, cafes, takeaway food shops, short-term markets and shops on Rottnest Island are not covered by trading hours laws in Western Australia.

Small and special retail shops, which carry a certificate handed out by the state government, aren’t subject to any restricted trading.

Leaving the best to last, South Australia is the most complicated as the laws change depending on the the store location and size.

Non-exempt shops located in the CBD Tourist Precinct are allowed to trade from 11am to 5pm on both Sunday and Monday.

Non-exempt shops in the Metropolitan Shopping District and the Glenelg Tourist Precinct are not allowed to open on Monday, but can trade between 11am to 5pm on Sunday.

A shop is non-exempt from trading restrictions if it is located in one of the above districts and has a shop with more than 200m² of retail floor area, or 400m² for grocery stores.

If you are not sure whether something will be open or closed, consumers can go online to find the list of exemptions in South Australia.

That’s what’s happening if you want to buy something. If you will be working on Sunday and/or Monday, pay on public holidays and Sundays differs by industry and award. The best way to work out what your obligations are on any given day is to consult the Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay calculator.

In general, most workers (whether casual, part-time or full-time) will be entitled to penalty rates on both Sunday and Monday, but the rate varies by award or your particular enterprise agreement.