Easter 2023: Your state-by-state guide to retail trading rules

The Easter long weekend is kicking off this Friday, with many businesses still busy getting out their last orders in time for Easter and families flocking to their local grocery stores to stock up their pantry for Easter lunch with friends and relatives or embark on a road trip.

The Easter holiday period is one of the biggest times of the year for small, medium and large businesses across Australia. But amongst all the excitement of getting ready to celebrate Easter, it’s important to remember that Australian states and territories each have different laws that affect public holidays and trading over Easter.

So it’s vital to brush up on the trading restrictions, exemptions, rules and regulations in your region that come with the impending Easter public holidays.

We know there is a lot of information out there, so SmartCompany has put together a breakdown of the public holidays and trading hours across each state and territory to help you plan for the long weekend ahead.

Easter trading hours 2023

Here is the list of upcoming public holidays that business owners should be aware of for Easter 2023:

• Friday 7 April — Good Friday
• Saturday 8 April — Easter Saturday
• Sunday 9 April — Easter Sunday
• Monday 10 April — Easter Monday
• Tuesday 11 April — Easter Tuesday (Tasmania only)

Tasmania is the only state in Australia to observe the Tuesday after Easter as a public holiday and it’s only observed by the public sector in Tasmania. As Easter Sunday is not a public holiday in the state, it is a trade-off day.

New South Wales’ Easter 2023 public holidays

All four Easter days are treated as public holidays in New South Wales.

Under the Retail Trading Act 2008, some days are considered ‘restricted’ trading days, which means trading restrictions are in place on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. This means non-exempt businesses are unable to open.

Unless they have obtained an exemption from NSW Fair Trading and are allowed to operate, many businesses cannot open on these days. About 18 types of businesses are exempt from the restrictions, as well as small shop retailers that employ four or fewer staff.

However, some businesses such as chemists, fruit and vegetable shops, petrol stations and small shops are allowed to open on these days.

More details are available on the NSW government website.

Victoria’s Easter 2023 public holidays

Like NSW, Victoria also treats the four Easter days as public holidays.

Under Victorian law, Good Friday is a restricted trading day and only exempt businesses are permitted to open. 

The Shop Trading Reform Act 1996 states that specific types of shops can open on restricted trading days, including chemists, petrol shops, restaurants, cafes and takeaway outlets.

The Act also states that a shop that has 20 or fewer persons employed in the shop at any time on a restricted trading day and the number of persons employed by the shop and its related entities is no more than 100 at any time during the seven days immediately before the restricted trading day, is also exempt.

More information can be found on the Business Victoria website. 

Queensland’s Easter 2023 public holidays

Queensland observes Good Friday, Easter Saturday (the day after Good Friday), Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday across the Easter period as public holidays.

In Queensland trading hours for Easter depend on the category of the retail shop. 

Exempt shops, except for the sub-category of independent retail shops, have unrestricted trading hours and may trade during the Easter period.

Independent retail shops must remain closed on Good Friday except if they are predominantly food and/or grocery stores, which can trade without restriction. Specific trading hour restrictions apply for licensed premises.

Non-exempt shops must not open on Good Friday. Trading may be permitted for non-exempt shops on the other public holidays during the Easter period and will depend on the location or type of trading area.

More information on trading hours is available here:  2023 Easter trading hours (PDF, 181KB)

Australian Capital Territory’s Easter 2023 public holidays

The Australian Capital Territory will also be observing the four Easter public holidays this long weekend. 

Currently there are no trading restrictions in place for the Easter period in ACT.

Western Australia’s Easter 2023 public holidays

Western Australia observes public holidays on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

As a business it’s important to find out if you are allowed to be open on a public holiday, as small retail shops, special retail stores, service stations and motor vehicle shops must be closed on Good Friday.

If you are a small retail shop with up to six people and operate no more than four retail shops of up to 25 people working at any one time, you will need to apply for a certificate to be able to trade 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Special retail shops that are considered necessary for emergency, convenience, or recreation goods can trade from 6am to 11.30pm every day of the year. To trade as a special retail shop, you will need to apply for a certificate.

The State Government has also approved four extra hours of trading for general retail shops in the Perth metropolitan area on Easter Monday.

The extension to permitted opening times means general retail shops will be able to trade any time between 8am and 6pm on Easter Monday.

The normal permitted trading hours for these Monday public holidays are 11am to 5pm. 

The Minister for Commerce can vary public holiday general retail trading hours in the Perth metropolitan area, with the exception of Christmas Day, Good Friday and ANZAC Day.

More information on Western Australia’s retail trading hours’ laws is available on the Consumer Protection website.

South Australia’s Easter 2023 public holidays

South Australia observes Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Monday.

For retailers in South Australian shopping districts trading hours are regulated by the Shop Trading Hours Act 1977 and Shop Trading Hours Regulations 2018. Where a shop is located, its size and what it sells determines whether it is exempt or non-exempt from the state’s shop trading laws. 

More information is available at SafeWork SA.

Tasmania’s Easter 2023 public holidays

In Tasmania, Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays, as well as the Tuesday after Easter Monday, which falls on April 11. The Tuesday public holiday is generally only observed by the public service sector.

While small retailers are able to trade without restrictions in Tasmania over Easter, the Shop Trading Hours Act 1984 places trading restrictions on large retailers on Good Friday.

Northern Territory’s Easter 2023 public holidays

The Northern Territory is observing public holidays on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday in 2023.

Although there are rules around the serving alcohol on Good Friday, there are currently no trading restrictions in place over the Easter period.

Penalty rates

According to the Fair Work Ombudsman website Employees get paid at least their base pay rate for all hours worked on public holidays. More information about penalty rates can be found on their website.

Check out the Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay calculator if you need help determining staff entitlements during the Easter period.