Employees who work in the area covered by Colac Otway Shire will this year have a public holiday on Melbourne Cup Day.
Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney today welcomed the introduction to the Victorian Parliament of the Public Holidays Amendment Bill.
“This new legislation will mean that all employees who work in the area of Colac Otway Shire will benefit from a public holiday on Melbourne Cup Day,” Ms Tierney said.
“This will provide certainty and correct the situation where some regional councils observed 11 public holidays while others observed only 10”.
Ms Tierney said all of Melbourne’s 31 metropolitan councils celebrate the first Tuesday in November, but there was a gap where 28 of the 48 regional councils including Colac Otway Shire had not selected an 11th public holiday for this year.
“So we are ensuring that the people of these Shires including Colac Otway Shire will be able to enjoy the race that stops a nation as a public holiday,” she said.
“The legislation will allow a regional council to request an alternative weekday of local significance to be the public holiday across their municipality instead of Melbourne Cup Day.”
“The Brumby Government believes that all Victorians should be able to enjoy 11 public holidays a year no matter where they live or work.”
The 28 councils which had not gazetted a public holiday and will therefore now celebrate Melbourne Cup Day as a public holiday include Alpine, Ararat, Bass Coast, Baw Baw, Benalla, Campaspe, Colac-Otway, Corangamite, East Gippsland, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Shepparton, Hepburn, Indigo, Loddon, Mansfield, Mitchell, Moira, Mount Alexander, Pyrenees, South Gippsland, Southern Grampians, Strathbogie, Surf Coast, Towong, Wellington, West Wimmera and Wodonga.
Ms Tierney said the new legislation would give certainty to employers on what public holidays will apply.
“The new legislation will also remove uncertainty in treatment of New Year’s Day, Australia Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day when they fall on weekends,” she said.
“The legislation sets out the same provisions for all Victorian workers as the Australian Industrial Relations Commission national test case standard established some years ago.
“So all employers and employees will know exactly what is required with public holidays.”