Monday 5 October is a public holiday in New South Wales, the ACT, South Australia and Queensland, and most restaurants there add a public holiday surcharge that day. In the four cities we track the average is 13.2% in Sydney, 14.2% in Brisbane, 14.3% in Adelaide and 14.3% in Canberra, and 15% is the most common rate in all four.

What is happening

A public holiday surcharge covers the higher penalty rates staff are paid on those days. It applies to the bill rather than the payment method, so paying cash instead of card does not remove it. It is separate from the card surcharge ban that starts on 1 October 2026, and it stays legal as long as the venue displays the charge clearly.

Nationally we track 1,064 venues and have a public holiday rate on file for 621 of them. The average is 13.4%, the most common rate is 15%, and 6% of those venues charge nothing extra.

What it costs in each city on Monday

Sydney: 13.2% average across 150 venues with a known rate. Brisbane: 14.2% across 36. Adelaide: 14.3% across 17. Canberra: 14.3% across 21. Melbourne and Perth have no public holiday on Monday, so their usual rates apply.

Where you will not pay more

Plenty of venues do not charge a public holiday surcharge. In Sydney the best known on our list are Bar Luca and Menya Noodle Bar. In Brisbane they are The Lion Richlands and Speed Dial. We do not yet have a confirmed zero public holiday rate for any venue in Adelaide or Canberra.

What it means for you

If you are eating out on Monday, check the venue before you book. Our city pages list the rate we have recorded for each venue, and on the day the calculator switches to the public holiday rate by itself: Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra.

For the city-by-city comparison behind these numbers, see our weekend and public holiday surcharge guide.

Happy dining! G