Businesses and residents want state to revisit daylight saving

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Businesses and Residents Urge Queensland to Revisit Daylight Saving Time

A long-running debate over daylight saving time has resurfaced in Queensland, with businesses and some residents calling for the state to reconsider whether it should continue operating on a single standard time throughout the year.

More than three decades after Queensland last held a referendum on daylight saving, renewed calls for another public discussion are emerging as businesses, tourism operators and residents consider the economic and lifestyle effects of having an extra hour of daylight in the evening. (AFR)

Renewed debate in Queensland

Queensland has historically remained outside Australia's daylight-saving system, unlike New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, which advance their clocks during the warmer months.

The issue has repeatedly divided Queensland communities. Supporters argue that longer evening daylight could provide more opportunities for outdoor activities, tourism, hospitality and retail. Opponents have traditionally raised concerns about darker winter mornings, disruption to routines and differences between southeastern Queensland and the state's more northern and regional areas.

The latest push reflects a broader question about whether Queensland's time-zone arrangements still suit the state's changing economy and population.

Businesses see potential economic benefits

Business groups supporting renewed consideration of daylight saving point to the potential benefits of having more daylight after normal working hours.

An additional hour of evening sunlight can potentially encourage people to spend more time shopping, dining, participating in recreational activities and attending events. Research from New South Wales has also found significant changes in evening mobility and spending around the transition into and out of daylight saving. (The Guardian)

According to that NSW analysis, evening economic spending and public transport activity declined after daylight saving ended and increased after it resumed. The findings provide evidence that daylight hours can influence when people travel, socialize and spend money, although results from another state do not necessarily predict what would happen in Queensland.

Residents remain divided

For residents, the argument is about more than economic activity.

Supporters of daylight saving often emphasize having additional sunlight after work. This could make it easier for families to spend time outdoors, exercise, visit beaches and parks, or participate in evening community activities.

Critics, however, have long pointed to the consequences of shifting the clock forward. Later sunrises can affect schoolchildren, commuters, farmers and people whose daily schedules depend on daylight in the morning.

Queensland's geographic size also complicates the debate. Conditions in Brisbane and the southeast are different from those experienced in far northern and western parts of the state.

The economic argument is not settled

Evidence from other jurisdictions suggests that daylight saving can affect consumer behavior, but the size and direction of those effects can vary.

A JPMorgan Chase Institute study examining millions of anonymized transactions found that the introduction of daylight saving was associated with increased daily card spending in Los Angeles, while spending declined more sharply when daylight saving ended. The researchers nevertheless cautioned that the economic benefits of daylight saving should not simply be assumed.

This means Queensland's debate involves several competing considerations, including retail activity, tourism, transport, workplace schedules, energy use, health and community routines.

A decision for Queenslanders

The renewed discussion does not automatically mean Queensland will introduce daylight saving. Any change would require political and legislative consideration, and the state's previous referendum remains an important part of the history surrounding the issue.

The current debate instead highlights a question that has returned after years on the sidelines: whether Queenslanders should once again be given an opportunity to consider how the state's clocks are set.

For businesses, the issue is closely connected to customer activity and tourism. For residents, it involves the balance between evening daylight and morning darkness. With opinions continuing to differ, any future consideration of daylight saving is likely to involve arguments from both economic and community perspectives.

For now, the renewed calls show that Queensland's daylight-saving debate is far from settled. (AFR)

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