Opinion: Qld needs daylight saving to keep pace with modern world
It is inconceivable that a pioneering state such as Queensland be an hour behind the other states for half the year, writes Peter Gleeson.
Peter Gleeson
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Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner understands the importance of South East Queensland being in the same summer time zone as other parts of Australia.
It makes fiscal, health, liveability and common sense. That’s why he’s so red hot on daylight saving and why it’s important that as a future host Olympic city, Brisbane be part of that.
It’s time for South East Queensland, from Noosa to Coolangatta, to demand we get on the same time zone page as Victoria and NSW.
It is inconceivable that a pioneering state such as Queensland be an hour behind the other states for half the year.
We might as well be a year behind them, with the perception among corporate heavyweights that Queensland just doesn’t move with the times.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, a smart guy, wants the Glitter Strip to trial daylight saving, saying that it hurts tourism.
There are two inescapable facts to consider when it comes to daylight saving in Queensland.
First, there is absolutely no doubt that a Queensland-wide referendum conducted now would result in a strong yes’ vote. Latest polling suggests the case for the yes vote is now well over 65 per cent.
The last referendum was 30 years ago, and three million Queenslanders who would vote now did not vote back then. As Bob Dylan said, the times they are a-changing.
Second, both Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli will not touch the issue. Fair enough. Why burn votes unnecessarily. It polarises, particularly north of Noosa. So how do we make this work?
Former science and maths schoolteacher David McIntosh, who last week admonished me for uninformed views on the subject, says the answer is complicated, but ultimately it requires a simple solution.
He would often ask his students to look at daylight saving during a unit called Position and Time on Earth.
“Some of the discussions were quite interesting and the usual debate about benefit to one region and the detriment to another happened,’’ Mr McIntosh said.
“Yet mostly they came to the same conclusion and it is one which would satisfy everyone at state level.
“Consider the position of the most easterly point in Australia – Cape Byron NSW and the most westerly, Steep Point WA.
“Use the mathematical fact that each one degree change in longitude represents a time change of four minutes. Minutes, thus a change of 40o29’02” between those points would be almost 162 minutes or two hours and 42 minutes.
“Three time zones in Australia have traditionally been averaged using the central point of both east and west coast states and central region to give us the 2 hour and 30 minute timelines associated with the major zones.
“Because of the actual time split being almost three hours, there is scope to move all Australian time zones ahead by 30 minutes, which overall would alleviate the continuing confusion when daylight saving is active.
“Our clocks would remain consistent and unchanged throughout the entire year.’’
Mr McIntosh said it would not require a referendum because it was well within the Constitution to make such changes.
“If groups of year 11 students can come up with a simple proposal, then surely a nation such as Australia can consider the changes,’’ he says.
“Just as we, as a nation, changed from the imperial currency to the metric system in 1966 and from imperial weights and measures to metric weights and measures in 1974, why can we not advance our clocks in 2024 or 2025?’’
There’s the solution right there.
