NSW lags behind the national long weekend tally; it's time for change

It’s time to level the playing field for the long weekend.

Australia is supposedly the land of the fair go, an egalitarian state in which all people are treated equally. We have generous annual leave provisions, leave loading – that wonderful thing where employers pay you extra to go on holiday – and what I thought was a decent number of public holidays. But as a resident of NSW, I was gobsmacked to discover we fall behind other states with only 11 days off.

South Australia claims the highest number of public holidays in the country, which means residents get to spend more time relaxing in places like Glenelg, a popular metropolitan beach in Adelaide. (Image: South Australia Tourism Commission/Josie Withers)

South Australia comes out on top with 14, the lucky ducks, thanks to Adelaide Cup Day in March and New Year’s Eve. With extra leave for the AFL grand final and Melbourne Cup, Victorians get 13 public holidays a year. Queenslanders have 12, Western Australians have 11 and poor Tasmanians bring up the rear with only 10 days off. Anyone else think we should even the playing field nationally?

I have a recent, newfound appreciation for long weekends. Working on staff at newspapers, I was in the office while everyone else had a sleep-in – don’t feel too sorry for me, they made it up to us with six weeks’ annual leave. As a freelancer pre-kids, I’d also use it as a chance to catch up on work. But with two tiny dictators who don’t go to daycare on public holidays, I’m forced to take the day off. And, to state the obvious, it’s great.

Aerial view of Yamba Kayaks on the Clarence River.

Another public holiday for NSW would mean more time to spend with family and friends for activities like kayaking in Yamba. (Image: Destination NSW)

Not only do I get to spend time with my little family without the pressures of having to be somewhere at a certain time, but I also get to hang out with friends who also happen to have the day off. I can’t believe I missed out on this joy all these years. It took a while, but I finally understand the excitement in the lead-up to a free day off.

The benefits of a public holiday speak for themselves

Friends enjoying a yoga session at Belongil Beach.

Taking time out benefits our mental health. (Image: Elements of Byron)

A public holiday is an enforced break and one that pays dividends when it comes to connecting with family, friends and community. According to clinical psychologist, Dr Anastasia Hronis, an extra day off can also have profound impacts on mental health.

“There’s the component of looking forward to it. People are talking about it and it’s a bit of a mark in the diary that can help punctuate a year. When we can break the year down into smaller chunks, it feels more manageable," she says. It’s also an incentive to escape the daily grind and go away for a few days. Because we know that an extra day off at home can often be overtaken by the odd jobs you haven’t had time to do during the week.

“Part of the mental health benefits of travel is the novelty. When we do something that’s new and novel, there’s an excitement to it and that activates dopamine in the brain – it feels good," Dr Hronis says.

A couple enjoys feeding lambs and goats at the Giving Farm on the Central Coast.

Reserving time in our calendar for new experiences, like feeding baby animals on the Central Coast, would be easier with another public holiday. (Image: The Giving Farm, Central Coast/Destination NSW)

“Having new experiences that are exciting and enjoyable is a healthy way to get that dopamine activation, which boosts overall mood and wellbeing. It’s much harder to activate dopamine in the daily grind.

“Dopamine is also activated not just when we do the pleasurable thing, but in the lead up, which is why planning the holiday is also enjoyable."

Dr Hronis and I are not the only ones who think an extra day off promotes well-being. The Legislative Assembly even has an ePetition calling for Fairer Public Holidays for NSW More Family & Community Time.

NSW residents can sign the petition, which states: “To the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly. We, the undersigned petitioners, believe we should enjoy the same number of public holidays as other states. Currently, NSW has only 11 public holidays, while most others enjoy 12 or 13. NSW only has one public holiday between June and December. Public holidays are important days for communities to pause, for families to gather and for shared time to connect. Public holidays promote social cohesion. We ask the Legislative Assembly to call on the Government to introduce a new public holiday – ‘Family & Community Day’ to be observed in September each year – to promote the well-being and cohesion of our community."

Support of the regions

View of the outdoor bath at Elouera, a luxury tiny house at Sierra Escape in Mudgee

Another public holiday would mean time to book in a relaxing stay at Sierra Escape in Mudgee. (Image: Sierra Escape Mudgee)

The Mudgee region is on board with this; it has also launched a petition proposing an additional public holiday for NSW. Its research for the Mudgee Monday campaign reveals that 72 per cent of Australians want more public holidays – no surprises there – and 51 per cent support a nationally standardised public holiday count.

The flip side of the public holiday argument is that it’s too expensive for businesses. Staffing costs are up to two-and-a-half times higher on public holidays and many venues try and recoup that by adding a surcharge that spans 10-20 per cent of the bill.

A report by Money.com revealed that over the back-to-back Easter and Anzac Day long weekends, $24.6 million of the additional $98.4 million spent in cafes, restaurants and takeaway, went towards surcharges. But there’s a balance to be had. More visitors create more revenue – that $98.4 million is money that wouldn’t otherwise have been spent – and if those visitors are happy to pay the extra for another day off, then businesses win out. While the cost of living is high, most people recognise that those working while everyone else is off need to be compensated.

Elouera, a luxury tiny house at Sierra Escape in Mudgee. Meticulously crafted from a shipping container and offering unparalleled views.

Elouera, a luxury tiny house at Sierra Escape in Mudgee, is the perfect place to spend a long weekend away. (Image: Sierra Escape Mudgee)

Mudgee Region Tourism Chief Marketing Officer, Beau Kassas, says the economic impact of another public holiday is extensive.

“A third of every dollar spent in Mudgee is by a visitor and we know that on long weekends that third of every dollar nearly doubles," he says.

“Staying that extra day, being able to enjoy a whole afternoon and evening before driving home on the Monday is injecting more cash into the local economy."

The Mudgee Monday campaign also reveals that 57 per cent of Australians believe an extra long weekend each year would reduce burnout and stress. And the science backs it up. According to peer-reviewed research published in Nature Human Behaviour, employees who had a four-day work week with a full-time salary had better performance, physical and mental health and less burnout.

In July, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union pushed for it, citing that shorter working hours would result in productivity gains. While the NSW public service offers a compressed working week as part of its flexible working arrangements, where employees work the same number of hours a week, compressed into a shorter time period, it is not the norm across industries.

Less time doing admin and chores and more time getting outside. (Image: Girrakool Loop Track, Central Coast/ Destination NSW

I’m lucky that freelancing offers me flexibility and technically every week is a short one for me. But that day is not spent tending to my mental health, rather it allows time for life admin tasks that are just as demanding as paid work but aren’t seen as important enough to dedicate days to them; such as tending to elderly relatives, taking children to appointments and staying on top of the never-ending pile of washing.

Doing all of that outside the traditional 9-5 is stressful, especially for those of us squarely in the sandwich generation looking after small kids as well as ageing parents. A public holiday is a breather. A chance to stop and get off the carousel of the to-do list. And seeing that 47 per cent of Australians have taken sick leave for a personal break or getaway, you might as well make it official and plan for it with another scheduled day off.

What do you think? Is it time to even out the national number of public holidays for NSW?

The Broad Swamp Loop Walk and Broad Swamp to Birds Rock Walking Track showcase the unique geology and diverse ecosystems of the Gardens of Stone area.

Two new walking tracks in the picturesque Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area (SCA) have opened just in time for the warmer months and the school holidays. The Broad Swamp Loop Walk and Broad Swamp to Birds Rock Walking Tracks showcase the unique geology and diverse ecosystems of the Gardens of Stone area near Lithgow, offering photographic opportunities, wildlife encounters and immersion in a rare and fragile landscape.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Trish Doyle shared her enthusiasm for the new walking tracks:

“The tracks are fantastic news for families, hikers and nature lovers and will be a drawcard for visitors, driving economic and tourism growth and creating new bushwalking routes of international significance in our backyard.”

Two people on a bushwalk with yellow wattle blossoming.

Walk through swathes of wattle.

Broad Swamp Loop is a family-friendly six-kilometre walk among towering eucalypts and vibrant wattles. This Grade Three track takes approximately one to two hours to complete and offers views of the largest swamp in the park, while protecting it as an endangered ecological community via bog bridges. Keep a keen eye out for red-necked wallabies and echidnas who call this area home.

The more adventurous and challenging Broad Swamp to Birds Rock Walking Track stretches 17.5 kilometres, requiring hikers to traverse gullies and cliff lines. This Grade Three walk takes approximately seven to eight hours to complete (one-way), gaining an elevation of 100 metres from the lush valley with towering trees to the winding steps up to a scenic clifftop view of Carne Creek with glimpses of Pyramid Rock. Without a car shuffle, the walk from Broad Swamp carpark to Carne View lookout is 25 kilometres return, taking approximately eight to 10 hours, so ensure you plan ahead.

Hikers looking out at the Carne View Lookout

The Carne View Lookout offers spectacular views.

Part of the $49.5 million Gardens of Stone SCA visitor infrastructure program, these new tracks are the result of 18 months’ work to transform an eroded trail into a world-class hiking track.

“These new walking tracks help protect biodiversity by converting an eroded informal trail into a world-class hiking adventure so more people can enjoy the park,” shared National Parks and Wildlife Service Director, David Crust.

Upgrades to the Lost City precinct have also been completed to offer better convenience for visitors, with a formalised car park, road enhancements, toilets and visitor information.

The transformation is the first stage of a planned multi-day walk, with new precincts, Bungleboori Picnic Area and Forest Campground, to be completed over the next two years.

Hikes on a bushwalk with mountains in the background

The Broad Swamp to Birds walking track meanders through grassland.

To know before you go

– There is no phone reception on either walk.

– There is no drinking water along the way.

– Closures due to construction will continue over the next 12-18 months, so check each walk is open in advance.

– To do the Broad Swamp to Birds Rock Walking Track as a one-way trip, you’ll need two 4WD vehicles, as Birds Rock car park is only accessible by 4WD. It is a 30-minute drive between Broad Swamp car park and Birds Rock car park.

NSW lags behind the national long weekend tally; we need to even it up

It’s time to level the playing field for the long weekend.

The benefits of a public holiday speak for themselves

Support of the regions

Light up the night with an after-dark kayaking tour in Lake Macquarie

This NSW coastal walk has secluded beaches, wildflowers and whale watching

I’ve stayed in 21 hotels in Sydney and this is my favourite

Coco Pops coffee and Biscoff scrolls are luring city dwellers to a tiny Tweed Heads hole-in-the-wall

Two new scenic bushwalks have opened in a breathtaking NSW conservation area

The Broad Swamp Loop Walk and Broad Swamp to Birds Rock Walking Track showcase the unique geology and diverse ecosystems of the Gardens of Stone area.

To know before you go