Grocery aisles full of chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies, shoppers spotted in the wild with hot cross buns in their trolleys having finally given in to the official hot cross bun season, Easter sales running hot and families stocking up on food and treats. This can only mean one thing.
The Easter long weekend is just around the corner.
With Australians already well and truly gearing up to celebrate the magic of Easter with family and friends, small and medium businesses across the country are currently under the pump running Easter sales, decorating their shops, putting up signs letting customers know about their upcoming operating hours over the public holidays and racing to get orders out to customers on time prior to the Easter long weekend.
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Many will be working up to and through the Easter break as well as celebrating with loved ones.
However, amidst all the hustle and bustle and we know that the Easter period is one of the biggest and busiest times of the year for businesses, it remains important that all business owners are aware of Easter holiday trading hours across Australia and how it applies to their businesses.
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Each of Australia’s states and territories has different laws, trading restrictions, regulations and exemptions for small businesses that may be trading and operating over the Easter public holidays.
So to make things a little easier for Aussie businesses, SmartCompany has composed a list of the public holidays and trading hours across each state and territory.
Easter public holidays dates for 2025:
New South Wales, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory
Friday, April 3: Good Friday
Saturday, April 4: Easter Saturday
Sunday, April 5: Easter Sunday
Monday, April 6: Easter Monday
Western Australia
Friday, April 3: Good Friday
Sunday, April 5: Easter Sunday
Monday, April 6: Easter Monday
Tasmania
Friday, April 3: Good Friday
Monday, April 6: Easter Monday
Tuesday, April 7: Easter Tuesday (a public holiday generally only for the Tasmanian Public Service)
Penalty rates for Easter trading
Public holidays are part of the National Employment Standards (NES) and both Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays under the NES. Regardless of any award, registered agreement or employment contract, the NES applies to all employees covered by the workplace relations system.
The Fair Work Ombudsman states that employees have the right to choose whether they want to work or not on a day or part-day that is a public holiday.
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While an employer can request that an employee work on a public holiday, the request has to be within reason and an employee can refuse a request to work if they have reasonable grounds or the employer’s request is unreasonable.
Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to be paid their base pay rate for their ordinary hours if they are absent from work because of a public holiday. However, the base rate of pay doesn’t include any incentive-based payments and bonuses, loadings, monetary allowances, overtime or penalty rate or any other separately identifiable amounts.
Casual employees (who aren’t shift workers) get penalty rates when they work public holidays.
Awards, enterprise agreements and other registered agreements can provide entitlements for working public holidays.
Employees can calculate their award rate of pay by using the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Pay and Conditions Tool.
Easter trading rules for New South Wales
While the NSW Small Business Commissioner has announced some changes to operating restrictions for certain businesses on the ANZAC Day public holiday, there have been no changes to the current regulations for NSW businesses over the Easter period.
Good Friday, April 3, and Easter Sunday, April 5, remain ‘restricted’ trading days in New South Wales under the Retail Trading Act (NSW) and only businesses that have obtained an exemption from NSW Fair Trading can operate on those days.
However, businesses such as fruit and vegetable shops, cake and pastry shops, chemists, petrol stations, newsagencies, nurseries, pet shops, restaurants, cafes, takeaway food and drink shops, and florists are listed as exempt shops under schedule 1 of the Retail Trading Act and are able to trade on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Some small shop retailers can trade on these two restricted Easter trading days if they meet all the criteria.
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According to the NSW Government Fair Trading website, to qualify as a small shop retailer you must not have more than four staff working on any given day throughout the year. No more than four staff and up to two owners can work on Good Friday or Easter Sunday.
Other businesses that may be able to operate are NSW businesses located in an exempted local government area.
Easter trading rules for Victoria
For Victoria, Good Friday, April 3, is a restricted trading day and only exempt shops may open and trade on this day as per Victorian law.
According to the state’s Trading Reform Act 1996 only specific types of shops, such as chemists, petrol shops, restaurants, cafes, and takeaway outlets can open on restricted trading days.
Exempt shops include those that have 20 or fewer persons employed in the shop at any time on a restricted trading day.
Also exempt are shops where the number of employees employed by the shop and its related entities is no more than 100 at any time during the seven days before the restricted trading day.
Trade outlets or service providers can operate on restricted trading days as they don’t fall under the definition of a shop.
Operators of cafes, bars, restaurants, and bottle shops should be aware that there might be more restrictions regarding late-night trading and supplying alcohol on restricted trading days and should check with the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation for further information.
Easter trading rules for Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory has deregulated trading hours, which means there are no restrictions on when businesses can operate, including on public holidays.
As a result, ACT shops, retailers, and businesses can operate during the Easter period including on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday without any restrictions on trading hours.
Easter trading rules for Queensland
Good Friday, April 3, is a closed day for all non-exempt shops across Queensland, and trading hours during the Easter period comes down to the category of the retail shop.
As defined by the Trading (Allowable Hours) Act 1990, exempt shops include chemists, fruit and vegetable shops, service stations, veterinary supplies shops and butcher shops, among others.
Exempt shops, except for independent retail shops, have unrestricted trading hours and may trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days of the year. This includes all public holidays.
Exempt shops also include independent retail stores that are predominately food and/or grocery stores. However, independent retail shops which are not predominantly food and/or grocery stores must remain closed on Good Friday, but have unrestricted trading on other days during the Easter period.
Good Friday also affects the trading hours of licensed premises in Queensland and there may be extra restrictions on serving alcohol.
Easter trading rules for South Australia
Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday are all public holidays in South Australia.
Good Friday, April 3, is a restricted trading day in South Australia, which means that most shops are legally required to be closed, with some exceptions depending on the type of business.
Exempt shops, which may include pharmacies, petrol stations, cafes, and takeaway food shops that are eligible, can trade on any day of the year during hours that suit the business needs and the needs of its customers.
South Australia’s trading hours for retailers in the state’s shopping districts are regulated by the Shop Trading Hours Act 1977, and Shopping Trading Hours Regulation 2018, the location of the shop, its size and what it sells will determine if it will be exempt or non-exempt from shop trading laws.
For non-exempt businesses, Easter Saturday trading hours are restricted to the Adelaide CBD, Metro and Glenelg only until 5pm and the Adelaide CBD between 11am and 5pm for both Easter Monday and Easter Sunday.
Proclaimed shopping districts, which only apply to the towns of Millicent, Mallala, Binnum, Frances and Kybybolite, are closed for the four Easter public holidays as stated by Safe Work South Australia.
However, the rest of regional South Australia is deregulated and shops can trade when they want.
According to SafeWork South Australia, temporary exemptions from the state’s legislated shop hours may be granted by the Minister responsible for the Act. Businesses must go through an exemption application process.
Easter trading rules for Northern Territory
Like the Australian Capital Territory, trading hours in the Northern Territory are deregulated and there are no restrictions in place, which means businesses can operate on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday with no trading restrictions in place.
However, the sale of takeaway liquor is prohibited on Good Friday.
If you are a restaurant bar, wayside inn, club, or public bar you can sell liquor to patrons without meals between 11am and 9pm. If you’re a licensee with a restaurant authority you can sell liquor to patrons on Good Friday between these hours if they buy a full meal.
More information on public holiday trading for licensed premises can be found on the Northern Territory Government’s website.
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Easter trading rules for Western Australia
The Easter public holidays in Western Australia are slightly different to other states.
The public holidays are Good Friday, April 18, Easter Sunday, April 5, and Easter Monday, April 6, with trading hours for retail shops in WA regulated under the Retail Trading Hours Act 1987 (WA).
The type of shop and its location are some of the deciding factors when it comes to the hours a retail shop can be open for trading.
General retail shops in the Perth metropolitan area must be closed on Good Friday. However, the trading hours for general retail shops in Perth have changed for Easter Monday, April 21, with trading hours from 8am to 6pm.
All shops are regarded as general retail shops unless they are small retail shops, which can trade 24 hours a day, every day of the year, or special retail shops deemed necessary for emergency, convenience or recreational goods. Special retail shops can trade between 6am to 11.30pm every day of the year.
Shops that want to trade as a small or special retail shop must apply for a certificate.
The owners of general retail shops outside of the Perth metropolitan area should check trading hours for their stores as some regional local government authorities (LGAs) have permanent regional trading hour variations.
Filling stations selling vehicle fuel are deregulated in all areas and can be open at any time.
Easter trading rules for Tasmania
Tasmania also observes Easter Tuesday, April 7, as well as Good Friday and Easter Monday. However, Easter Tuesday is generally only observed by the public service sector according to the Statutory Holidays Act 2000.
Under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1984, there are trading restrictions in place for large retailers, with more than 250 employees, and certain shops in Tasmania on Good Friday.
Business owners can find more information on public holidays at WorkCover Tasmania.
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