New arrivals could change the debate on daylight saving in Queensland

The push for daylight saving has been an annual crusade for decades, but a migration boom introduced by the pandemic could tip the scales.

Queensland’s migration boom could spark a fresh debate on daylight saving, according to a leading demographer.

More than 30,000 southerners have relocated to Queensland in the past year to escape the Covid gloom engulfing other states, but Doctor Thomas Sigler, a senior human geographer at the University of Queensland, said they could have “mover’s remorse” once the reality of life without daylight saving sets in.

Clocks in southern states will again move forward one hour this weekend, leaving Queensland behind the times compared to most of the country’s population.

Daylight saving is about to kick off in most Australian states. Picture: Vince Caligiuri (Getty Images)

As revealed in The Sunday Mail last weekend, Doctor Sigler has headed up a new study on daylight saving showing a clear majority of Queenslanders support the return of daylight saving, almost 30 years since a trial and failed referendum.

1990 Cabinet Papers released: Queensland was ahead of its time

He said millions of Queenslanders were not old enough to vote at the 1992 referendum, while an estimated 30,000 new arrivals from southern states used to daylight saving also had a right to be heard.

“This past year was a real tipping point, with huge numbers of interstate migrants arriving in Queensland mostly from Victoria and other southern states,” he said.

“I could see them arriving and having a moment of “mover’s remorse” when they are woken up by the lorikeets and barking dogs at 4:30am next week.”

University of Queensland daylight saving expert Dr Thomas Sigler.

However, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk again shot down talk of a new push for daylight saving.

“I would say to the southern states, they should just be on Queensland time,” she said.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has also been reluctant to buy into the debate.

The new demographic study on the subject attracted hundreds of comments from readers, with a majority in favour of pushing the clocks forward an hour.

Wayne Thompson even suggested a different tactic – pushing Queensland clocks forward permanently.

“Having lived in NSW with Daylight saving and the last 16 years without is disappointing to say the least,” he wrote.

“People say we are 1 hour and 10 years behind the rest of Australia.

“I appreciate the impact it would have on some areas of the state. I have a solution: we should wind the clocks ahead 1 hour permanently for 365 days.

“That way we would be leading the country and they would have to catch up.”