OPINION: Cut off the North: Daylight saving gibbering costs Qld too much

The Queensland Government should introduce daylight saving between Noosa and Coolangatta before David Crisafulli makes it an election-winning promise, writes Peter Gleeson. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Every year around this time, Queensland confirms it is an hour behind the rest of the world. Those pushing for the status quo - no daylight saving - say allowing an extra hour of sunlight fades the curtains and makes the cows go funny. It’s a compelling and credible argument.

NSW and Victoria are wedded to their extra hour of daylight, while Queensland remains in the Dark Ages.

It’s a terrible indictment on the lack of courage on big issues being applied in Queensland. Risk averse political decision-making is not leadership.

New research shows the overwhelming majority of Queenslanders now want daylight saving.

Dr Thomas Sigler, University of Queensland.

Lead researcher Dr Thomas Sigler says the state loses $4 billion a year because of the decision not to be in sync with the other states.

He says the different time zones cause a disconnect with the other states and international companies.

The University of Queensland research shows 60 per cent of Queenslanders would vote for its reintroduction.

In Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the number is even higher at 70 per cent. Just 46 per cent of those in the Northern Tropics supported it.

The biggest loser is tourism. There’s an easy solution. The Palaszczuk Government should introduce daylight saving between Noosa and Coolangatta. The good folk of North Queensland could have their own time zone, and it might even give momentum to their push for a separate state.

LNP leader David Crisafulli needs a big ticket campaign vote-changer and putting the South East an hour ahead of the north and bush is definitely a game changer. It works at Broken Hill in NSW, which runs on Adelaide time, half an hour behind NSW and Victoria.

We are the Sunshine State, so let’s embrace it.