Major legislative change to South Australia’s public holidays could soon be on the horizon, with the SA Lower House officially passing legislation to recognise Christmas Day as a public holiday.
With Christmas Day landing on a Saturday this year, the SA government had previously stated that public holiday penalties would not be awarded to Christmas Day essential workers. This legislative change is seeking to change that.
Under current legislation, public holidays landing on weekends carries over the following Monday. South Australia is the only state to not award penalty rates to workers on Christmas Day or recognise the day as a public holiday.
The legislation, which passed the Lower House today, would only come into effect if Christmas Day was to again fall on a weekend.
However, while the public holiday recognition passed, a major amendment was included in the official legislation. Staff working Christmas Eve will no longer receive penalty rates for their hours, with the public holiday pay instead awarded to those working on Christmas Day. The amendment was introduced by Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell.
It was voted by the Liberal Part that a pay cut will be implemented for South Australian working Christmas Eve, including frontline workers such as retail workers, hospitality workers, nurses, paramedics and police officers.
Just met a bloke who knows what it’s like to work over Christmas.
He said Christmas Day should be a public holiday, so everyone who has to work that day is fairly compensated for time spent away from their families. pic.twitter.com/duEIdabfyX
The move comes after Labor and the Greens have been fighting for workers to receive penalty rates for working Christmas Day.
Our essential frontline workers, such as retail workers, nurses, ambos and police officers, have been the heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations Kyam Maher.
“Tonight, thousands of South Australian workers will go home and realize they could now face a pay cut on Christmas Eve.”
The SDA – the state’s largest union – says the finalised change is imperative before the busy season arrives.
“Any delay will see workers and businesses left in limbo in the lead up to the busiest time of year,” said SDA Secretary Josh Peak earlier this month. The amended legislation will now pass back to the Upper House for approval before the change is finalised.
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Important Travel Insurance Information
New Year's Day |
Saturday, 1 January |
New Year Holiday (additional public holiday) |
Monday, 3 January |
Australia Day |
Wednesday, 26 January |
Adelaide Cup |
Monday, 14 March |
Good Friday |
Friday, 15 April |
Easter Saturday |
Saturday, 16 April |
Easter Sunday |
Sunday, 17 April |
Easter Monday |
Monday, 18 April |
ANZAC Day |
Monday, 25 April |
Queen’s Birthday |
Monday, 13 June |
Labour Day |
Monday, 3 October |
Christmas Eve (from 7pm to 12 midnight) |
Saturday, 24 December |
Christmas Day |
Sunday, 25 December |
Boxing Day/Proclamation Day |
Monday, 26 December |
Christmas Holiday (additional public holiday) |
Tuesday, 27 December |
New Year’s Eve (7pm to midnight) |
Saturday, 31 December |
| School Holidays | Friday, 15 April 2022 |
Sunday, 1 May 2022 |
| School Holidays | Saturday, 9 July 2022 |
Sunday, 24 July 2022 |
| School Holidays | Saturday, 1 October 2022 |
Sunday, 16 October 2022 |
| School Holidays | Saturday, 17 December 2022 |
Sunday, 29 January 2023 |
By strategically taking time off work you could enjoy longer periods of time off.
| Saturday, 25 December | ||
| Sunday, 26 December | ||
| Monday, 27 December | ||
| Tuesday, 28 December | ||
| Wednesday, 29 December | ||
| Thursday, 30 December | ||
| Friday, 31 December | ||
| Saturday, 1 January | ||
| Sunday, 2 January | ||
| Monday, 3 January | ||
| Totals | Days of Annual Leave: 3 | Days off: 7 |
| Total leave days: 10 | ||
| Saturday, 22 January | ||
| Sunday, 23 January | ||
| Monday, 24 January | ||
| Tuesday, 25 January | ||
| Wednesday, 26 January | ||
| Thursday, 27 January | ||
| Friday, 28 January | ||
| Saturday, 29 January | ||
| Sunday, 30 January | ||
| Totals | Days of Annual leave: 4 | Days off: 5 |
| Total leave days: 9 |
| Friday, 15 April | ||
| Saturday, 16 April | ||
| Sunday, 17 April | ||
| Monday, 18 April | ||
| Tuesday, 19 April | ||
| Wednesday, 20 April | ||
| Thursday, 21 April | ||
| Friday, 22 April | ||
| Saturday, 23 April | ||
| Sunday, 24 April | ||
| Monday, 25 April | ||
| Totals | Days of annual leave: 4 | Days off: 7 |
| Total leave days: 11 |
| Saturday, 24 December | ||
| Sunday, 25 December | ||
| Monday, 26 December | ||
| Tuesday, 27 December | ||
| Wednesday, 28 December | ||
| Thursday, 29 December | ||
| Friday, 30 December | ||
| Saturday, 31 December | ||
| Sunday, 1 January | ||
| Monday, 2 January | ||
| Totals | Days of annual leave: 3 | Days off: 7 |
| Total leave days: 10 |
The Adelaide Cup is always held on the second Monday each March and is celebrated exclusively in South Australia since 1973.
It is one of the largest sporting and social events that takes place in South Australia with the total prize money coming in at $400,000. The Cup used to be held in May but was rescheduled in 2006 in an effort to draw more people to the Cup in the warmer weather.
Proclamation Day falls on the first weekday following Christmas Day. While all other states and territories in Australia celebrate this day as Boxing Day, South Australia celebrates the day to commemorate the establishment of their government in 1836.
Besides a formal ceremony, including a re-enactment of the first ready of the proclamation, held by senior level officials and politicians, most South Australians do not partake in any specific celebratory measures for Proclamation Day.
To mark the state’s historical significance, many people venture to see some of South Australia’s most notable cultural heritage sites. Another popular choice is to follow the Living Heritage Trail to see a selection of important historic sites and museums.
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