Plans for commemorations of the life of Queen Elizabeth II during a national day of mourning will be on the agenda when national cabinet meets.
Anthony Albanese will on Wednesday hold talks with state and territory leaders, where plans for the national day of mourning will be discussed.
The day of mourning, a one-off public holiday, will be held on September 22, after the prime minister returns from the Queen’s state funeral in London.
States and territories hold their own commemorations on the day, alongside the national memorial service at Parliament House.
They will also be in charge of what businesses and services would be open on the public holiday.
“My priority has been getting these details in place, organising the logistics which are required to make sure that we give appropriate respect next Thursday as well for the national day of mourning,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
“I will be meeting with the state and territory leaders over the next couple of days. As well, we will have a national cabinet phone hook up.”
While business groups and medical bodies have expressed concern over the short notice for the public holiday, Mr Albanese earlier on Tuesday said services would still be able to operate.
“There’ll be an enormous amount of activity on that day, I should imagine, just as there is on days like Boxing Day or on Australia Day, which are both public holidays as well,” he told Sydney radio 2GB.
“This isn’t a declaration that no one’s allowed to do anything on Thursday, September 22.”
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said people booked for surgery on the day should assume it will proceed unless they are contacted by their hospital.
In South Australia, retail trading hours will be similar to Anzac Day, which means shops must stay closed until midday as a mark of respect.
“Given the unavoidably late notice of this decision, there will be some disruption for some South Australians,” Premier Peter Malinauskas said in a statement.
Larger shops in Adelaide and the suburbs will be able to open from 12pm to 9pm and workers will receive public holiday penalty rates, in accordance with employment agreements. SA schools and banks will be closed.
In Victoria, the day will be a normal trading day, as is the case for Grand Final Friday, Boxing Day and other public holidays.
“Employers and employees seeking information about their rights and responsibilities regarding public holidays should seek advice from their business organisations or relevant unions,” the government said.
Queensland parliament will resume on Thursday for state legislation to allow for the public holiday to be enacted.
The state government said arrangements would be similar to those in place on Australia Day, with supermarkets, cafes and other retailers able to open.
In Western Australia, public holiday trading hours will apply, with general retail stores able to trade between 11am and 5pm.
There will be no restrictions on trade in Tasmania, but businesses will still be required to comply with penalty rate arrangements.
© AAP 2022
