❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding the public consultation on changes to the public holiday schedule. The response details stakeholders consulted, submissions received, the availability of the Decision Regulatory Impact Statement, and the cost of the consultation.
AnsweredQoN 564Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to page 61 of Budget Paper No. 2, Volume 1, the Total Appropriations for the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, and to the Government’s announcement on 13 July 2025 of a public consultation into changes to Western Australia’s public holiday schedule, and I ask: (a) which stakeholders did the Government write to invite submissions; (b) which stakeholders have been met with directly to discuss this proposal; (c) which individuals and organisations have provided written submissions; (d) when will the Department’s decision regulatory impact statement be finalised; (e) further to (d), will the impact statement be made public; (f) has the Government undertaken any modelling of the cost to small businesses and the broader economy of introducing additional public holidays; (g) if yes to (f), will it be tabled; and (h) what has been the cost of this consultation process to date?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
14 October 2025
Responded by
Leader of the House representing the Premier
Response time
5 days
a) The Government wrote to the following stakeholders to invite submissions:
· Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA;
· The Royal Agricultural Society of WA;
· Australian Hotels Association WA;
· Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA;
· UnionsWA;
· The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees' Association of WA;
· Celebrate WA;
· WA Cricket and Cricket Australia;
· United Workers Union;
· The National Retail Association/Australian Retailers Association; and
· The WA Local Government Association.
(b) Targeted consultation meetings were held with the following representative bodies and key stakeholders:
· Australian Hotels Association WA;
· Celebrate WA;
· Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA;
· Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA;
· Civil Services Association / Community and Public Sector Union;
· State School Teachers Union of WA;
· The Royal Agricultural Society of WA;
· The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees' Association of WA;
· United Professional Firefighters Union;
· United Workers Union WA;
· Unions WA.
· WA Cricket and Cricket Australia;
· WA Local Government Association; and
· WA Police Union of Workers.
The Department of the Premier and Cabinet also collaborated with other government agencies to understand public sector impacts.
(c) Through the public consultation process, the WA Government received:
· 9,931 submissions through the Microsoft Form;
· 75 email submissions from individuals; and
· 17 written submissions from organisations, including peak bodies, unions, not for profits, and community groups.
The names of individuals who provided written submissions are unable to be disclosed, as they have not provided explicit consent for their private information to be shared.
The 17 organisations who provided written submissions are as follows:
· The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA;
· Celebrate WA;
· The Royal Agricultural Society of WA;
· The WA Local Government Association;
· The Australian Hotels Association WA;
· Unions WA;
· The United Workers Union WA;
· The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association of WA;
· WA Police Union of Workers;
· The National Retail Association/Australian Retailers Association;
· Tourism Council of WA;
· Endeavour Group;
· National Electrical Communications Association;
· Alinta Energy;
· Australian Automotive Dealer Association;
· The Pharmacy Guild WA Branch; and
· The WA Tamil Association of WA.
(d-g) The Decision Regulatory Impact Statement (DRIS) was published on 13 September 2025 and is available at https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2025-09/public_holidays_decision_regulatory_impact_statement_final.pdf .
The DRIS includes information regarding the impact modelling undertaken by the Department of Treasury and Finance on the Government’s preferred reform option.
(h) It is $5,911 which was covered by existing appropriation of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
· Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA;
· The Royal Agricultural Society of WA;
· Australian Hotels Association WA;
· Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA;
· UnionsWA;
· The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees' Association of WA;
· Celebrate WA;
· WA Cricket and Cricket Australia;
· United Workers Union;
· The National Retail Association/Australian Retailers Association; and
· The WA Local Government Association.
(b) Targeted consultation meetings were held with the following representative bodies and key stakeholders:
· Australian Hotels Association WA;
· Celebrate WA;
· Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA;
· Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA;
· Civil Services Association / Community and Public Sector Union;
· State School Teachers Union of WA;
· The Royal Agricultural Society of WA;
· The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees' Association of WA;
· United Professional Firefighters Union;
· United Workers Union WA;
· Unions WA.
· WA Cricket and Cricket Australia;
· WA Local Government Association; and
· WA Police Union of Workers.
The Department of the Premier and Cabinet also collaborated with other government agencies to understand public sector impacts.
(c) Through the public consultation process, the WA Government received:
· 9,931 submissions through the Microsoft Form;
· 75 email submissions from individuals; and
· 17 written submissions from organisations, including peak bodies, unions, not for profits, and community groups.
The names of individuals who provided written submissions are unable to be disclosed, as they have not provided explicit consent for their private information to be shared.
The 17 organisations who provided written submissions are as follows:
· The Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA;
· Celebrate WA;
· The Royal Agricultural Society of WA;
· The WA Local Government Association;
· The Australian Hotels Association WA;
· Unions WA;
· The United Workers Union WA;
· The Shop, Distributive & Allied Employees’ Association of WA;
· WA Police Union of Workers;
· The National Retail Association/Australian Retailers Association;
· Tourism Council of WA;
· Endeavour Group;
· National Electrical Communications Association;
· Alinta Energy;
· Australian Automotive Dealer Association;
· The Pharmacy Guild WA Branch; and
· The WA Tamil Association of WA.
(d-g) The Decision Regulatory Impact Statement (DRIS) was published on 13 September 2025 and is available at https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2025-09/public_holidays_decision_regulatory_impact_statement_final.pdf .
The DRIS includes information regarding the impact modelling undertaken by the Department of Treasury and Finance on the Government’s preferred reform option.
(h) It is $5,911 which was covered by existing appropriation of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
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