'I don't think there will be a public holiday': Premier's call on AFL grand final

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A public holiday will not be declared, or moved, when Queensland hosts the AFL grand final next month, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed.

"I don't think there will be a public holiday," she said.

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The AFL premiership cup gets comfortable at the Gabba.Credit: Getty Images

"I think from memory, we have got one in early October. I think that will be fine."

The door was left open by Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace on Sunday, who is responsible for declaring public holidays, when she said it "might be something that is on the agenda".

The game will be played at the Gabba on the night of October 24 in front of 30,000 fans – the first time in history the match has been held outside Victoria.

Queenslanders will enjoy – or have already – at least a dozen public holidays in 2020, including Christmas Eve, which was declared a part-holiday last year.

The Queen's Birthday public holiday will be celebrated in Queensland on October 5.

The traditional midweek public holiday, declared to allow people across the south-east to visit the Ekka, was moved to a Friday this year to create a long weekend.

The move was hoped to push more people from Brisbane out into regional parts of the state to bolster ailing tourism industry.

A spokesman for Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the August 14 Ekka long weekend pumped half a billion dollars into the industry.