Daylight saving referendum call as council urges Labor and the LNP to stage vote

ONE of the Gold Coast’s most powerful people has demanded a bipartisan backing of daylight saving in Queensland when Parliament resumes.

MAYOR Tom Tate is urging both sides of Queensland politics to back a plan for a referendum on daylight saving.

The Gold Coast Bulletin has polled the Gold Coast City councillors and found a majority back a move for another vote by the State to end the split on times.

The introduction of daylight saving until April next year places NSW, Victoria and Tasmania an hour ahead creating chaos for tourists landing at the Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta and workers crossing the border.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk with Mayor Tom Tate on the Gold Coast — he wants the State’s political leaders to back a referendum on daylight saving. Picture: Richard Gosling

“One can have a personal view — my vote is “yes” because it makes economic sense for southeast Queensland,” Cr Tate told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

MAYOR BACKS DAYLIGHT SAVING

“But the commitment I would want for both sides of State politics — because it’s their call — is that by the next local government election they’re willing to go to the people of Queensland to allow them to decide.

“I want them to listen. That’s all. They will say ‘we’ve already gone and all that’ but the cultural dynamics of the people of Queensland has changed since the last referendum.”

Cr Tate said two years was long enough for a “meaningful conversation” on the topic and by staging the referendum at the council poll it would reduce the costs.

Daylight Saving has been an issue on the Coast for decades.

DAYLIGHT SAVING’S NEW SHINING KNIGHT

“That’s all we want, the right to decide. If they say no to that they’re basically giving the finger to the democratic process through which they were elected,” he said.

“To have this happen at the local government election is minimal expense. You are going to have the election anyway, you know when, you just ask the question, it’s a different form. You tick yes or no. Not so hard to do.

“All that bull about the curtains will fade, the cows you can’t milk them, that sort of thing, all those arguments, people can decide about that.”

The introduction of daylight saving would have Queenslanders waking up on the same time zone as other eastern states. Picture: @julesingall

Councillors Peter Young is a strong supporter of daylight saving along with colleague Bob La Castra who said he had been lobbying both sides of political for years without success.

Hinterland councillor Glenn Tozer supports a common time-zone for southeast Queensland and other eastern states.

COUNCIL VOTES ON DAYLIGHT SAVING

“As a father of young kids, and a representative of a Division with nine state primary schools, I can appreciate the difficulty of putting kids to bed while it’s still light outside but the positive economic impact and convenience for business working in SEQ is too much to overlook,” he said.

Helensvale-based councillor William Owen-Jones said the population on the electoral roll had increased from 1.8 million to more than 3.2 million since the last referendum in 1992 giving more weight to the southeast.

“It’s been over twenty-five years since it was last trialled in Queensland, it’s time to give it another go,” he said.

Cr William Owen Jones Photo: David Clark

Southport-based councillor Dawn Crichlow told the Gold Coast Bulletin: “In the good old days on the farm in NSW I was able to stay in the stables until 9pm and then have dinner. Loved it.”

Southern-based councillor Gail O’Neill said she was a strong supporter of daylight saving, after her experience as Southern Gold Coast Chamber of Commerce president.

The chamber several years ago presented a petition to the then Government to trial daylight saving only in the tourism area from the NSW border through to Noosa only for it to be rejected.

Cr Gail O'Neill. Pic by Richard Gosling

“I am aware that neither the LNP or Labor governments are keen to revisit the issue. It is my personal opinion that Queensland, especially southeast Queensland is disadvantaged for six months in their tourism and business sectors through the absence of daylight saving,” Cr O’Neill said.