Queenslanders will celebrate Queen's Birthday twice next year, as the state made some changes in the schedule of the public holidays for better spacing of breaks.

The observance of Queen's Birthday has been moved permanently to the second half of the year, specifically on October's first Monday. However, as the state transitions to this new public holiday calendar, June 2012 will still mark the occasion for the last time. The October celebration takes effect for the first time the same year, giving Queensland an extra holiday in 2012.

In other changes to the holiday schedule, student free days will be combined with the Easter school holidays for a two-week break. Further, an extra public holiday will be allocated when Christmas, Boxing, or New Year's days fall on a weekend to make sure that people who must work on Christmas Day are always paid properly.

Premier Anna Bligh says the state chose to have an extra holiday in 2012 instead of causing an inconvenience to people who have already made plans for the June break.

She told ABC News Queenslanders have voted overwhelmingly to move the Queen's Birthday holiday to the second half of the year to better space out long weekends.

"Yes, it means that in 2012 Queenslanders will have an extra public holiday... But frankly, after the 2011 that our state's had, I think they deserve it," she told ABC.

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