The Benefits of Daylight Saving for South East Queensland

There are numerous benefits to be gained by introducing Daylight Saving into South East Queensland.

Provides an extra hour of daylight in the evening

Reallocating the underutilised hour of sunlight from the early morning, provides for an extra hour of daylight in the evening. Given the early morning sunrise and twilight affect that the South East Queensland region experiences, there will still be sufficient natural light, in which to perform general morning activities.

Promotes more of an outdoor lifestyle

More sunlight in the evening allows more time to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle that South East Queensland is known for, and proud of.

Allows for more time for outdoor family activities

The extra sunlight in the evening provides the opportunity to enjoy outdoor family activities, and spend extra time with children, playing sports, etc.

Positive effect on health

Daylight Saving in South East Queensland would have a positive effect on health and well-being, as it promotes greater opportunities for individuals to engage in outdoor physical activity, and various other leisure and recreation activities.

Improved safety and security of public transport and evening leisure activities

Daylight Saving increases the safety and security of commuters on public transport by ensuring both morning and evening peak travel times are in sunlight during summer months.

As sunsets occur at a later time, Daylight Saving also provides greater safety for evening leisure activities.

Promotes tourism

The ‘extended’ evening daylight would benefit tourism and provide more opportunities for visitors to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle South East Queensland has to offer.

Increases business and economic efficiencies

It has been well documented, that not adopting Daylight Saving is a burden on South East Queensland businesses. A large number of these organisations have regular dealings with clients and colleagues in other States' capital cities, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. Without Daylight Saving, South East Queensland businesses experience additional travel costs, extended staff hours, and other inefficiencies, in order to accommodate Daylight Saving business hours in other states, for six months of the year. Adopting Daylight Saving in South East Queensland would ensure that efficient dealings are maintained for the full 12 months of each year, reducing business costs, along with retaining stability for employees.

Introducing Daylight Saving into South East Queensland would boost the region's economy by $ billions each year, which would equate to increased job retention and job creation. This economic boost would also benefit the Queensland Government indirectly, through associated gains in business tax revenue.

This dual time zone proposal satisfies the majority of all Queensland residents

Support for Daylight Saving within Queensland is geographically divided. The majority of residents in South East Queensland are supportive of Daylight Saving, while the majority of Queenslanders residing outside this region, oppose its introduction. In the 1992 Referendum, all 51 electorates that voted in support of the concept, were concentrated in the South East region. The results of numerous surveys undertaken since the Referendum, have also displayed this trend. This includes the Queensland Government commissioned Nielsen Company review undertaken in 2007. The findings of this evaluation indicated that 69% of South East Queensland respondents support the introduction of Daylight Saving, while 59% of those outside this region are against its introduction.

As there is limited support for daylight saving in the regional and rural districts in Queensland, the DS4SEQ dual time zone proposal accommodates their needs on this issue, while also giving consideration to the view of the majority of residents in South East Queensland. A dual time zone would satisfy the majority of ALL of Queensland's residents, not just the minority, as is currently the case.

The number of people affected by the 'time border' will be significantly reduced

Currently, a very large number of people are affected by the 'time border' that runs through the densely populated Gold Coast-Tweed region. Logically, if the 'time border' was shifted to a sparsely populated area, north-west of the urbanised South East Queensland region, the number of people disrupted, would be significantly reduced.

A majority of the Queensland population is included within the proposed South East Queensland Daylight Saving Time zone

The proposed South East Queensland Daylight Saving Time zone includes approximately 75% of Queensland's population. This region has been created by the inclusion of 15 local council areas. Please refer to the 'Solution 4 Qld' link above, to view a map outlining the proposed Daylight Saving region, along with a listing of all electoral districts within the zone.

Assists in maintaining normal Circadian Rhythms

Daylight Saving assists in re-aligning the times of the sunrise and sunset to favour normal circadian rhythms against the time of the clock.

A circadian rhythm is a cycle of biochemical, physiological and behavioural processes that occur in living beings on a daily basis. Normal circadian rhythms have a day/night cycle of approximately 24 hours, with the biological clock requiring environmental cues like sunrise and sunset to operate effectively. For example, this is why during the summer months, a number of people find themselves waking up much earlier, even without direct sunlight entering the room.

The time of the clock also affects the normal human circadian clock. However, after starting a new routine, individuals can adapt to these changes by about one hour each day. Therefore, for most people, any initial adverse affect in their circadian rhythm, due to the one hour changing in the time of the clock, would be felt for no more than a day or two.