Planning holidays in advance can help Australians transform the typical 20-day annual leave entitlement into more than 50 days off in 2026.

By carefully choosing dates around Christmas and New Year, Australia Day, Easter, the King's Birthday, and Labour Day (or equivalent state/territory holiday), Aussie workers who typically work Monday to Friday can clock up 53 days off.

And that's before you factor in specific regional public holidays.

Here are all the public holidays for 2026, plus tips to make the most of your annual leave next year.

Australia's public holidays by state and territory for 2026

January

Book four days of leave from January 27 to 30 and get nine days off between Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, February 1 (all states and territories).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Thursday, January 1: New Year's Day
• Monday, January 26: Australia Day

February

Book four days of leave from February 10 to 13 for nine days off between Saturday, February 7 and Sunday February 15 (parts of Tasmania only).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Monday, February 9: Royal Hobart Regatta (parts of Tasmania)

March

Book four days of leave from March 3 to 6 for nine days off between Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, February 8 (WA only).

Book four days of leave from March 10 to 13 for nine days off between Saturday, March 8 and Sunday, March 15 (ACT, SA, Tasmania and Victoria only).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Monday, March 2: Labour Day (WA)
• Monday, March 9: Canberra Day (ACT), Adelaide Cup Day (SA), Eight Hours Day (Tasmania), Labour Day (Victoria)

April

Book eight days of leave from March 30 to April 2 and from April 7 to 10 for 16 days off between Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, April 12 (all states and territories).

Book another four days of leave from April 28 to May 1 for nine days off between Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, May 3 (WA only).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Friday, April 3: Good Friday
• Saturday, April 4: Easter Saturday
• Sunday, April 5: Easter Sunday
• Monday, April 6: Easter Monday
• Saturday, April 25: ANZAC Day
• Monday, April 27: ANZAC Day day in lieu (WA)

May

Book four days of leave from May 5 to 8 for nine days off between Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 10 (NT and Queensland only).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Monday, May 4: May Day (NT, Queensland)

June

Book four days of leave from June 2 to June 5 for nine days off between Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, June 7 (ACT and WA only).

Book four days of leave from June 9 to June 12 for nine days off between Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 14 (ACT, NSW, NT, SA, Tasmania and Victoria).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Monday, June 1: Reconciliation Day (ACT), Western Australia Day (WA)
• Monday, June 8: King's Birthday (ACT, NSW, NT, SA, Tasmania, Victoria)

July

There are no public holidays in July.

August

Book four days of leave from August 4 to 7 for nine days off between Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 9 (NT only).

Book four days of leave from August 10 to 11 and 13 to 14 for nine days off between Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 16 (Brisbane area of Queensland only).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Monday, August 3: Picnic Day (NT)
• Wednesday, August 12: Royal Queensland Show (Brisbane area only)

September

Book four days of leave from September 29 to October 2 for nine days off between Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, October 4 (WA only).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Monday, September 28: King's Birthday (WA)

October

Book four days of leave from October 6 to 9 for nine days off between Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 11 (ACT, NSW, SA and Queensland only).

Book four days of leave from October 23 to 26 for nine days off between Saturday, October 20 and Sunday, October 28 (Tasmania only).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Monday, October 5: Labour Day (ACT, NSW, SA), King's Birthday (Queensland)
• Thursday, October 22: Royal Hobart Show (parts of Tasmania)

November

Book four days of leave from November 3 to 6 for nine days off between Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 8 (parts of Tasmania only).

Book four days of leave on November 2 and November 4 to 6 for nine days off between Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 8 (Victoria only).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Monday, November 2: Recreation Day (parts of Tasmania)
• Tuesday, November 3: Melbourne Cup (Victoria)

December

Book eight days off from December 21 to 24 and December 28 to 31 for 16 days off between Saturday, December 19 and Sunday, January 3, 2026 (all states and territories).

Public holidays for the month fall on: 

• Thursday, December 24: Christmas Eve – 6pm to midnight (Queensland), 7pm to midnight (NT, SA)
• Friday, December 25: Christmas Day
• Saturday, December 26: Boxing Day (all states and territories except Tasmania)
• Monday, December 28: Boxing Day (day in lieu)
• Thursday, December 31: New Year's Eve – 7pm to midnight (NT, SA)
• Friday, January 1, 2027: New Year's Day

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A former Spotify executive has exposed how streaming music algorithms from industry giants are killing Australian music.

Will Page, who used to be Spotify's chief economist, revealed in a new report for The Australia Institute that the number of local artists featured on the world's biggest streaming services, including Spotify, YouTube, and Amazon, has fallen by 20 per cent between 2021 and 2024.

"The algorithms of streaming services might recognise language, but they ignore geography, which means local music is not typically recommended to Australian audiences," Page said.

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"If Australians are to enjoy a vibrant domestic music culture greater investment in new, local artists is needed."

The number of times an Australian band was streamed in Australia dropped by 30 per cent, showing that ensembles are struggling even more.

And while the Australian recording industry is making much more money since 2021, far less of that is going to the artists.

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Revenue from Australian music increased by 25 per cent, but the artists' share shrunk by 30 per cent.

Association of Artists Managers executive director Maggie Collins said the revenue increase showed there was a lot to be confident about in Australian music.

"This proves that it's not a quality problem and makes the domestic streaming decline even more striking," she said.

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"The numbers in this report reveal a clear market distortion, yet despite this disadvantage, Australian artists have proven yet again that when a door is closed, they will find a way in through the window.

"This approach, however, is expensive, resource-heavy, and for some Australian artists, is simply out of reach."

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also contributed a foreword to the report.

He said Australia's "cultural voice risks being drowned out" when "the algorithm replaces the DJ".

"Just as we invest in technology, energy, and defence, we must invest in culture – because identity is the foundation of confidence," he said.

"The streaming age does not have to erase national character; it can amplify it, and it should."

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Aldi Australia is taking urgent action over a recent supermarket scam that has seen Aussie grocery shoppers promised significant savings on their weekly shop.

The discount supermarket retailer tells nine.com.au they "have been actively pursuing" the removal of scam videos that have been appearing on social media channels.

The videos have been appearing primarily on TikTok, as well as other social media outlets. They are labelled The Aldi Method, The Coles Method and The Woolies Method.

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Each video follows a similar format: a voiceover sharing a method to save on groceries atop footage of someone placing groceries into a trolley at Aldi, Coles or Woolies.

Viewers are then directed to a web address, which appears to be an Aldi or corresponding supermarket website, which is placed in the description or the comments section and requests a customer's personal details.

A spokesperson for Aldi Australia has told nine.com.au they are "aware of some websites impersonating Aldi and we have been actively pursuing their removal to protect our customers".

"We encourage Australians to always remain wary of any offers seen on unofficial social media pages or websites, and to report any scams to Scamwatch," they said.

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Aldi has reminded customers DoorDash is the only platform that sells Aldi products online.

Any other website claiming to do so is not legitimate and may be a fake website pretending to be Aldi, customers are being warned.

Today money expert Joel Gibson says the scams, which target vulnerable Aussies struggling to make ends meet, are easy to spot once you know what to look for.

"There are dozens of these accounts, not many followers, if you scratch the surface, you will see that, but people don't often see that when they first see the post," he explained.

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Some of the scam videos allege savings of up to $750 on grocery costs.

"The problem is they are complete BS," he says.

"It's a scam. They ask you to go to a website and put your data in."

Gibson said the scam is working because so many people are struggling to afford their weekly shop.

A Coles spokesperson has told nine.com.au: "Coles advises customers to be aware of websites, competitions and other unsolicited communications that use the Coles brand without Coles' permission, or which promote Coles rewards or other incentives, in an attempt to appear legitimate.

"These offers predominantly attempt to collect your personal details or financial information and Coles will never request personal or banking details in unsolicited communications.

"We encourage people to report any suspicious communication you may have received to the ACCC via their Scamwatch page."

A spokesperson from Woolworths has issued the following warning.

"It's important for our customers to remain vigilant when it comes to scam activity," they said.

"To help our customers, we frequently post notices on our website with the different types of scams we see reported to us, how to stay safe from them and where to get help.

"Online scams seek to imitate well-known brands to collect personal information, but we would never ask our customers for their personal or banking details in unsolicited communications.

"This particular website is not affiliated with Woolworths."

Exclusive: Sydney high school student Noah Jones learned about the federal government's impending social media ban, ironically, on social media.

Now, the 15-year-old is fighting the legislation in the High Court.

"I find it hard to believe that the Australian government is keeping the children out of the platforms, but not trying to get rid of the predators that are actually doing the harm on these platforms," he said.

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Noah and fellow 15-year-old Macy Neyland are the two plaintiffs in a case challenging the constitutionality of the social media ban, which will kick children under 16 off Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X, YouTube, Threads, Reddit, Twitch and Kick on December 10.

He said his peers were preparing to bypass the age restrictions with fake profiles when the rules came into effect.

"The problem is with that, if they're being secretive about it, they can't report anyone or say something to parents or police because they weren't supposed to be on the platform in the first place, so they're at more risk," he said.

Macy agreed that the law was "bad safety policy".

"Bring us into safer spaces, with rules that work – age‑appropriate features, privacy‑first age assurance, and fast takedowns," she said.

Child protection is paramount to Noah's mum, and former primary school teacher turned lawyer, Renee Jones, who has raised her three children to be safe in the online world.

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But she said the government should work with social media platforms to crack down on predators and unsafe content online, rather than removing children from the digital world they have grown up in.

"His newborn photos were taken on an iPhone, and Noah's birth was announced on social media. He didn't live a life of newsprint, and Noah has never had an experience like other generations have had," she said.

"This is his space." 

NSW Libertarian MP John Ruddick yesterday filed proceedings in the High Court via his organisation Digital Freedom Project, with Noah and Macy as the plaintiffs, against the ban.

When none of the big tech companies launched a legal challenge, Ruddick took it upon himself to oppose the law.

"The kids will still be accessing social media, so that creates an underground social media. It's a recipe for disaster," he said.

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The group will argue in court that the government's ban will rob 2.6 million young people of their constitutionally implied right to freedom of political communication in the years ahead of when they will take to the polls.

"They're going to be voting in a lot more federal and state elections than a 60-year-old is," Ruddick said. 

Noah uses social media to engage in politics and is so passionate about the issue that he is writing to school captains across the country to ask them to chat and share their views with their local MP.

"It'll ban me from information on politics in Australia, and I'm coming up to the years where I'm going to vote, and I won't know much information," he said.

"It's not only about just 15-year-olds. It's about how we have rights as Australians, and we'll become invisible with this ban.

"You won't be able to hear any of our ideas or our banter on things."

Macy said children should not be silenced and compared the ban to George Orwell's famed dystopian novel 1984. 

A court date will be set in the next few days ahead of the end-of-year holidays.

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The group hopes to win an injunction that would delay the law from coming into effect until the case is heard early next year.

"Social media is getting bigger and bigger every day, and whether we like it or not, it's a big part of life," Ruddick said.

They believe the court will rule the law unconstitutional and dismantle the government's world-leading legislation. 

"Instead of making the social media platforms spend money and resources on avoiding fines, they should be spending money and resources on creating safer places on these platforms and taking action against these predators and inappropriate content," Noah said.

Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells said she would not be intimidated by the legal challenge.

"Despite the fact that we are receiving threats and legal challenges by people with ulterior motives, the Albanese government remains steadfastly on the side of parents and not of platforms," she said.

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A Victorian man has accused the state government of ghosting him after promising to fund a fresh search at a gold mine to find his brother who went missing over 50 years ago.

Daryl Floyd has dedicated most of his life to bringing his brother and "best mate" Terry home.

Terry was just 12 when he disappeared from the corner of Sunraysia and Pyrenees Highways in Avoca in Victoria's Central Highlands on June 28, 1975.

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Do you have a story? Contact reporter April Glover at Google Play.

Several skiers and snowboarders have been buried in an avalanche on the Stubai Glacier in the Austrian Alps, according to Austrian media reports.

Three injured skiers were airlifted to a hospital after being rescued on Thursday morning (Thursday night AEDT) in Tyrol, Austria, according to the Austria Press Agency. It was unclear how serious their injuries were.

Emergency services organised a massive search and rescue operation involving 250 people, rescue dogs and helicopters. Nine people were rescued alive, according to APA.

Around midday, the emergency operation was still ongoing and it was not known whether more people remained buried under the snow.

The avalanche occurred in the Daunscharte pass, a hazardous area outside the protected ski runs.

The heaps of snow also reached a lower section of the piste, forcing it to be closed.

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A mother has been jailed after she drove into a Perth schoolgirl who was crossing the road, and then fled.

Tahira Shaheen, who was a learner driver when she hit Alexis Lloyd, 12, changed her story multiple times throughout the case.

Today the 52-year-old was jailed for 16 months after running down Alexis as she walked across a pedestrian crossing outside Willetton Senior High School, in Perth's south, in June 2023.

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Alexis was left suffering a broken leg and collar bone when Shaheen drove off.

"We hope that the outcome sends a clear message that leaving the scene of a crime and failing to take responsibility is unacceptable," Alexis' mother, Tory Carter, said.

After being arrested more than two months after the crash, Shaheen told police "I knew I had hit someone but panicked".

"I didn't tell anyone. I was embarrassed because my child goes to Willetton Senior High School," she said.

She was driving alone on her L-plates at the time.

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The court heard Shaheen's son came home and told her a student had been hit by a car.

Her husband later discovered damage to a vehicle, encouraging her to report it, but the 52-year-old said she didn't know how it happened.

Her story changed throughout the case, later saying she thought she ran over a large musical instrument.

"Obviously the mental scars will be there for a long time to come but the physical ones seem to be going okay," Carter said.

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Despite the charges, the court heard Sheheen was granted a driver licence after hitting the 12-year-old.

"I think there's something wrong with the system there, big time," Carter said.

The 52-year-old could walk free in eight months.

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Developer Jonathan Quigley says the plan prevents sewage from entering the river.

Bodies are still being recovered from an inferno that tore through multiple high-rise buildings in Hong Kong, killing at least 44 and leaving hundreds missing.

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after the blaze spread across seven of the eight buildings in a housing complex in Tai Po district, a suburb in the New Territories.

Almost 300 people still remain unaccounted for, while at least 66 others have been hospitalised, 45 in a critical condition.

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Bright flames and smoke shot out of windows as night fell.

Of the 44 so far confirmed dead, 40 died at the scene and four in hospital, officials have said.

The fire is likely the most deadly in Hong Kong since World War II.

Previously, the 1996 Garley building fire, which killed 41 people, was widely described as the worst peacetime fire in Hong Kong history.

Fire crews tried desperately to save residents potentially left trapped on upper floors but the heavy smoke hampered efforts.

The South China Morning Post has reported the fires are now under control in four buildings.

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The Post quoted authorities as saying it may take until dusk to clear the three buildings where fires are still not under control.

Photos emerging from the scene this morning show some of the extreme damage the buildings have sustained, including destroyed windows and scorched exteriors.

Fire may have rapidly spread due to 'unsafe scaffolding'

Investigators are looking into factors, including whether material on the exterior walls of high-rise buildings met fire resistance standards, as the rapid spread of the fire was unusual, authorities said.

The fire may have been spread by unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during recent maintenance work, according to Hong Kong Police.

The exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined, and key questions for authorities remain.

They include why tower blocks were not evacuated more quickly once the fire began to spread from the first building, and whether flammable material, including polystyrene boards blocking windows of multiple apartments, may have contributed to the inferno.

Officials added that they suspect other construction materials found at the apartments – including protective nets, canvas, and plastic covers – failed to meet safety standards.

Officials earlier said the fire started on the external scaffolding of one of the buildings, a 32-storey tower, and later spread to inside the building and then to nearby buildings, likely aided by windy conditions.

"Police and the Fire Services Department have already set up a dedicated investigation team to investigate" the fire and its cause, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said.

The probe includes whether criminal elements are involved.

Fire chiefs said high temperatures at the scene made it difficult for crews to mount rescue operations. It was not immediately known how the fire started.

The raging fire sent up a column of flames and thick smoke as it spread quickly on bamboo scaffolding and construction netting that had been set up around the exterior of the housing complex.

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Hong Kong Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung Yan-kin said styrofoam was found inside the burning buildings, which helped enable the blaze to expand quickly.

Secretary for Security Chris Tang said early investigations deemed the quick spread of the fire suspicious.

"We have found that on the relevant building walls, the netting and waterproof tarpaulin material, once burned, showed spreading of the flames faster than [they should on] regulated materials. This is unusual," Tang said.

Criminal probe launched into fire

The three men arrested in relation to the fire at an apartment complex in Hong Kong are two directors and a consultant of a construction company, officials said at a press conference early Thursday morning local time.

Police are accusing the men of "gross negligence."

Police found the construction company name on inflammable polystyrene boards that firefighters found blocking some windows at the apartment complex.

He confirmed a criminal probe would take place alongside an investigation by firefighters.

Records show the housing complex consisted of eight blocks with almost 2000 apartments housing about 4800 people.

About 900 people were evacuated to temporary shelters.

Multiple buildings close to each other were set ablaze, with bright flames and smoke shooting out of windows as night fell. Authorities said that hundreds of firefighters, police officers and paramedics were deployed. Firefighters aimed water at the intense flames from high up on ladder trucks.

The blaze, which started mid-afternoon, was upgraded a level 5 alarm — the highest level of severity– as night fell. Authorities said that conditions remained very challenging for firefighters.

"Debris and scaffolding of the affected buildings (is) falling down," Derek Armstrong Chan, deputy director of Fire Service operations, said.

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Temperatures are scorching hot inside Wang Fuk Court as the fire rages on, preventing firefighters from reaching the upper floors of some buildings, where residents are still trapped.

Addressing those stuck inside the burning buildings, Chan urged residents to close their doors and windows, and seal them with tape and wet napkins.

The fire department said that it received "numerous" calls requesting assistance. It said some residents remained trapped as of Wednesday night, but police declined to provide details about how many were missing or in danger.

Firefighters deployed 128 fire trucks and 57 ambulances to the scene.

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The dead included a 37-year-old firefighter, while another received treatment for heat exhaustion, Director of Fire Services Andy Yeung said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government's "deepest sympathies" were with the victims and their loved ones.

Australian officials are in contact with local authorities, but at this stage 9news.com.au understands no Australians have been affected.

Australians in need of emergency consular assistance can contact the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre Hotline on 1300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305 if calling from overseas.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday expressed condolences to the firefighter who died and extended sympathies to the families of the victims, according to state broadcaster CCTV. He also urged efforts to minimise casualties and losses.

District officials in Tai Po have opened temporary shelters for people left homeless by the fire.

"I've given up thinking about my property," a resident who only provided her surname, Wu, told local TV station TVB.

"Watching it burn like that was really frustrating."

Tai Po is a suburban area in the New Territories, in the northern part of Hong Kong and near the border with the mainland Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Bamboo scaffolding is a common sight in Hong Kong at building construction and renovation projects, though the government said earlier this year that it would start phasing it out for public projects because of safety concerns.

The fire is the most deadly in Hong Kong in years. In November 1996, 41 people died in a commercial building in Kowloon in a level 5 fire that lasted for around 20 hours.

Lee said the government had suspended its campaigning efforts ahead of an upcoming December 7 election, according to the South China Morning Post.

But he said a decision on whether to postpone the election would be made in the coming days, with the fire disaster taking top priority.

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Former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce has announced he is defecting from the Nationals after three decades with the party, but hasn't decided whether to now join One Nation.

The New England MP, who was leader of the Nationals for two stints while the Coalition was in government, made a short speech in parliament this afternoon confirming he is leaving the party.

"After 30 years with the National Party, I am resigning from the party," Joyce said.

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"And that leaves me with a heavy heart. And I apologise for all of the hurt that that will cause, I really do."

While Joyce was widely expected to announce a move to One Nation, he said he hasn't made a decision about potentially joining Pauline Hanson's party.

"I dunno, I haven't made that decision," he told reporters in a short press conference immediately after his speech.

Joyce said that while it was a difficult decision to leave the Nationals, he no longer had a functioning relationship with the leadership of the party.

"In any relationship, when it breaks down, you've just got to get to a point where you either sort of live in bitter recrimination and continue on with it, or you get out of it," he said.

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"And I think that's what I'm doing today, is getting out of it."

He added the decision hadn't been made quickly and revealed that former opposition leader Peter Dutton had told him to quit the junior Coalition party twice in recent years.

In a statement, Nationals leader David Littleproud said Joyce's defection was a disappointment.

"It is disappointing for the people of New England and disappointing for the loyal National Party members who tirelessly volunteered over the past two decades to support his political ambitions," he said.

"The Nationals supported Barnaby through the tough times, including during his darkest moments.

"The original conversation I had with Barnaby was to encourage him to stay in our party room and that I believed he could continue to make a contribution to our party room."

Joyce entered parliament as a senator for Queensland in 2005, before switching to the lower house at the 2013 election, when he comfortably won New England following the resignation of independent Tony Windsor.

Five weeks ago, he announced that he wouldn't contest his seat in two and a half years, citing his "irreparably broken" relationship with the National Party leadership.

Rumours of a switch to One Nation for a return to the upper house have been rife since then, with Hanson saying the two are "on the same page" and even making Joyce dinner – a steak cooked on her sandwich press – in her office earlier this week.

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While Joyce insisted today that he hasn't made a decision about his future, other than that he will serve out the remainder of his current term, he admitted he is strongly considering a tilt at a Senate seat with the minor party at the next election in 2028.

"I think it's the appeal also of the Senate, of just reviewing and amending legislation… I've done the Senate before," he said.

However, senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie warned Joyce against a switch to the minor party.

"He's actually done serious things and his legacy is significant but that will be trashed if he goes to One Nation and I think that's the big difference and that's the question he's going to have to ask himself," she said.

"Does he want to be part of a party of government to get things done… or join a protest party where you won't be able to do that."

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