Daylight savings: Gold Coast businesses and leaders are fed up waiting for change

Gold Coast businesses and leaders are fed up waiting for change as daylight savings begins across the border again, with many believing Queensland should fall in line with NSW.

DAYLIGHT saving starts at 2am Sunday in NSW — and with it comes the annual disruption caused by the hour difference as Queensland and the Gold Coast remain on eastern standard time.

And just as happens every year, Gold Coast businesses and leaders are fed up waiting for change.

It has been 27 years since daylight saving was trialled in Queensland and those most impacted by the one hour time difference between here and NSW say they have grown tired of having to argue year after year.

“That old chestnut,” said Hilary Jacobs, president of the Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce, when asked yesterday about her thoughts on the time switch.

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The border marker between two states Queensland and New South Wales, dividing twin cities Coolangatta and Tweed Heads.

“We would love it to happen. We haven’t given up but at the end of the day it seems there isn’t a political appetite to take it forward.’’

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According to Ms Jacobs, when NSW makes the annual one-hour adjustment on Sunday to daylight saving time, the impact on business will be “measurable’’.  

“Come next week, we will have to rearrange meetings. The time taken out of our lives is ridiculous,” she said.

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Hilary Jacobs

Ms Jacobs said in many instances people who needed to fly to Sydney or Melbourne for early business meetings will now have to leave the night before because of the time difference.

“It seems like the issue isn’t moving anywhere at the moment,’’ she said.

“But I have never come across anyone in the chamber advocating for the policy to stay as it is.”

Queensland Airports Ltd CEO Chris Mills has previously talked about the time confusion that affects passengers at Gold Coast Airport, which straddles the border.

But asked yesterday how he felt this time around, he said he was “a bit over” the debate.

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An aerial view of the Gold Coast Airport in 2018.

“People are well over daylight saving these days and know how it works. The first day catches people out but they make adjustments,” he said.

Melinda Snowden from Auto Movers, a Gold Coast trucking company, said Queensland’s failure to keep up line with daylight saving time changes had an impact on the transport industry.

“Truck drivers need to log every minute they are on the road, and can get fined it they record it incorrectly,” Ms Snowden said.

“That confusion, especially in NSW, can lead to penalties. It is hard for a driver to constantly explain they began on Queensland time.

“The change also means we need to adjust when we can get into depots. Time is money and this does make it more difficult.”

Mayor Tom Tate is among the city’s strongest supporters of daylight saving.

Cr Tate has again called on the Queensland Government to reconsider the issue.

“I have been an advocate for introducing daylight savings in Queensland for many years and have raised this issue with the State regularly in my seven years as mayor as I believe it’s a no-brainer,” he said.

“Our lifestyle lends itself to the annual change and it would make the lives of our business community who deal with Sydney, Melbourne and Tweed Heads on a regular basis much simpler. Bring it on.”

Originally published as Daylight savings: Gold Coast businesses and leaders are fed up waiting for change