Gold Coast Airport straddles two time zones: ground zero of daylight savings debate

THE Gold Coast is on the front line of a renewed push for daylight savings, with business and community leaders saying the different time zone is harming the region’s lifestyle, tourism and economy.

The Gold Coast Airport is ground zero for daylight savings.

THE Gold Coast is on the front line of a renewed push for daylight savings, with local business and community leaders saying the different time zone is harming the region’s lifestyle, tourism and wider economy.

Gold Coast Airport straddles two different time zones almost six months of every year but operates under Queensland time to minimise confusion over departure and arrival times.

Queensland Airport Ltd CEO Chris Mills said the Gold Coast-to-Sydney air route is the fourth busiest in the nation, with Gold Coast-Melbourne the seventh busiest.

“Those routes are our bread and butter,” he said.

“A large portion is tourism, but a large portion are also business travellers.”

A 6am airport curfew means business passengers are unable to make morning meetings in Sydney as the one hour, 20 minute flight time turns into two hours 20 with the time difference.

For half the year, Gold Coast commuters simply can’t get to Melbourne before 11.05am and must stay the night before if they wish to attend morning appointments.

Due to the city’s easterly location, the sun sets up to an hour and 20 minutes earlier on the Gold Coast than in Sydney, and two hours earlier than it does in Melbourne.

Chris Mills CEO Queensland Airports. Photo: Steve Holland

The difference is not felt as keenly in western Queensland, in places like Mount Isa, where the sun won’t set tonight until 7.29pm, compared to the Coast’s sunset at 6.47pm.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday ruled out splitting Queensland into different time zones, despite admitting she supported the principle of daylight savings.

Tourism Minister and Moncrieff MP Steve Ciobo said the State Government must “listen to the voices of the Gold Coast”.

“Alignment between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne makes sense but there’s also benefits in terms of the population,” he said.

“The Gold Coast is one of the easternmost points of Australia so daylight savings makes more sense for the Gold Coast than basically any other part of Queensland.”

Queensland abandoned daylight savings in 1972, but trialled it from 1989 until 1992 when a permanent change was narrowly voted down in a referendum.

A petitionfor a new trial and referendum lodged on Monday had last night already garnered more than 7500 signatures and was growing fast.

Greg Jenke, who heads up the 340-bed John Flynn Hospital on the border said the time difference was a nightmare for patients, doctors and other staff.

“Our head office is in Sydney, so we have an hour of lost productivity because we can’t contact anybody,” he said.

“Not having daylight saving is good for joggers who like to get up at 4.30am, but for those people who work and then come home in the dark — I think an extra hour of sunlight in such a beautiful, tourist-based place like the Gold Coast is a must.”

Surfside general manager and Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said cross-border transport bookings were complicated by the different zones.

“If people are trying to book a Gold Coast (transport option) but they’re not in Queensland it is difficult and that hour makes a difference to businesses who depend on bums on seats for tourism activities,” he said.

Mr Mills said the Government should revisit the issue.

“It’s been 25 years, I think it’s entirely reasonable to say it’s time to have another look.”

TIME’S ON OUR SIDE?

Greg Jenke.

John Flynn Private Hospital CEO Greg Jenke

“Working right on the border I can see the practical problems associated with people from both side of the border using our facility.

“For those people who work and then come home in the dark, or who have no opportunity to go out with the kids and buy an ice cream — I think an extra hour of sunlight in such a beautiful, tourist-based place like the Gold Coast is a must.”

Martin Hall, Surfside GM and Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president

“For the Gold Coast, with our proximity to Tweed — we operate businesses on both sides of the border and it does present difficulties.

“If people are trying to book a Gold Coast (transport option) but they’re not in Queensland it is difficult and that hour makes a difference to businesses who depend on bums on seats for tourism activities.”

Andrea Staines. Picture: John Gass

Andrea Staines board member Tourism Australia

“As a business person, being an hour different fro Sydney and Melbourne is very inefficient.

“It’s virtually impossible to get to Sydney, and definitely Melbourne, for a business meeting in the morning.

“It makes it less viable for business people to travel into southeast Queensland for work.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate

“Put me down as a Yes vote for daylight savings. It makes sense economically and right now, we are the engine room of the entire State, not just south east Queensland.’’

Queensland Airports Ltd CEO Chris Mills

“Because of our location, we employ people from New South Wales who have children at New South Wales schools and have to work around pick-ups and drop-offs.

“We are flexible in that regard, but it is something that needs to be thought about when you’re employing people from both states.”

Jenny Dodd, TAFE Qld Gold Coast general manager

“I think if we’re going to be taken seriously, as a real professional community in education and training, it’s time for us to recognise we can’t just be a law unto ourselves — we have to work in with what’s the dominant mode of Australia and that stretches between Sydney and Melbourne.”

Bradley Carr, co-founder ry.com.au

“I see it working so well in NSW and Melbourne. It is confusing for our customers because they always forget about the time difference. I think it’s time to adopt daylight-saving.”