Written by: Deric Ma – The Pro Forum Community of Practice
Every October the same routine rolls around. Most of the east coast turns the clocks forward an hour while Queensland keeps steady. For decades we have accepted daylight savings as part of life. It is something many people no longer even question. But is it still serving us well or is it time to rethink whether we need it at all?
The idea behind daylight savings is simple, shift an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening so people can enjoy longer afternoons. It was introduced in Australia during the First World War and has been part of our lives in New South Wales, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania for many years. But our lifestyles and working patterns have changed dramatically since those early days. It is worth asking whether the benefits still outweigh the costs.
The business perspective
For businesses that operate across Queensland, New South Wales, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania the time difference during daylight savings months can be more than a small inconvenience. It creates an extra layer of complexity for scheduling meetings and running joint projects.
Imagine a company with offices in Brisbane and Sydney. From October to April the Queensland team is always an hour behind. That means when the Sydney office starts work at 9am it is still 8am in Brisbane. Early team meetings might cut into personal time for Queensland staff or require Sydney workers to start later to be conducive in a productive team. Multiply that by weeks and months and it creates inefficiency and frustration.
Clients and suppliers face similar challenges. A Brisbane supplier dealing with a Melbourne client may miss opportunities simply because they are out of sync by an hour. Travel between states also requires constant adjustment. You arrive for a meeting only to realise you are either an hour early or an hour late. In a fast moving economy where time is money that small gap adds up.
On top of this, the new Right to Disconnect laws add another layer for businesses to consider. Daylight savings creates mismatched start and finish times between Queensland and the Southern states, a poorly timed call or message could easily cross into someone’s personal time, potentially breaching the new workplace standards. Aligning work hours more consistently across the east coast would not only improve efficiency but also support compliance with these new employee protections.
If the east coast stayed on one consistent time year round Queensland and the Southern states could operate more smoothly together. There would be fewer misunderstandings fewer missed calls and less wasted time. It would also make national projects easier for federal agencies and large corporations that manage teams in multiple states.
The everyday life perspective
For everyday Australians doing away with daylight savings could bring more stability and less disruption to our body clocks. When the clocks move forward many people struggle to adjust their sleep patterns. Parents often face weeks of bedtime battles as children resist sleeping while the sun is still shining.
Morning routines are also affected. During daylight savings summer mornings can be surprisingly dark. This is tough on people who start work early such as tradies farmers and hospitality workers. Without the time change the sun would rise earlier in summer giving these workers more natural light to start their day.
The lack of time changes would also make interstate travel simpler. A family flying from Brisbane to Sydney in January would not need to juggle time differences for flights tours and dinner bookings. It is a small but welcome convenience.
Social and lifestyle considerations
One of the biggest arguments in favour of daylight savings is the extra light in the evening. People enjoy walking on the beach after work hosting barbecues in the backyard or playing sport without rushing before sunset. That is a fair point and it is true that lighter evenings can encourage outdoor activity.
But without daylight savings we would not lose the sunshine altogether. It would simply arrive earlier in the day. This opens up opportunities for communities and individuals to rethink how they use that light.
Early morning activities could become the norm particularly in the hotter months. Councils could organise local markets or fitness classes in the morning before the Australian heat sets in. Sports clubs could run training sessions at sunrise when conditions are cooler. Families could enjoy breakfast picnics in the park rather than waiting until the evening. The shift would be cultural but it could encourage a healthier start to the day and reduce exposure to the harshest midday sun.
Overcoming the downsides
There is no denying that some would miss the long summer evenings. Businesses in hospitality and tourism might worry that fewer people will go out for dinner or evening drinks. But there are ways to adapt. Restaurants could offer extended breakfast or brunch menus. Tourist operators could promote early morning experiences such as guided walks kayaking or wildlife tours that take advantage of cooler conditions.
Workplaces could also offer flexible hours during summer so staff can finish earlier and enjoy the daylight. This would require a shift in thinking but many companies are already embracing flexible work arrangements.
We also need to remember that technology has changed the way we live and work. When daylight savings was first introduced people relied on the sun for much of their daily rhythm. Now lighting air conditioning and remote work options make us far less dependent on daylight for productivity or comfort.
Time for a new conversation
Daylight savings was created for a different time and a different Australia. Back then it made sense to adjust our clocks to suit agricultural needs and energy savings. But our economy is now more service based our work hours more varied and our technology far more advanced. The arguments for daylight savings are not as clear cut as they once were.
Keeping the east coast on a single time zone year round would improve efficiency for businesses remove an annual disruption to our personal routines and create more consistency for interstate travel and communication. Yes it would require changes in how we plan social activities but with a little creativity we could turn those changes into positives and opportunities.
As October approaches it is worth asking ourselves a simple question. Are we keeping daylight savings because it genuinely improves our lives or because it is what we have always done?
The world has changed. Maybe our clocks should too.
Which side are you on? No daylight savings at all, keep things as they are, or should Queensland finally join the daylight savings crowd?
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