Is Queensland Getting Daylight Savings? Everything You Need To Know

Like clockwork, there comes a moment when every Queenslander ponders the great daylight savings debate. Maybe it’s when you’re teeing up a meeting with your interstate colleague (“Your 1pm or mine?”). Or maybe it’s when you’re watching a mate down the coast grab a sunlit dinner at 8pm. It really is a tale as old as time. 

So, why doesn’t Queensland have daylight savings? Are we getting daylight savings? What about the cows? Here’s everything you need to know about daylight savings in Queensland: 

What is daylight savings? 

Daylight saving time is when some states (New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory) move their clocks forward during the warmer months to give you more natural daylight hours in the evening. This means you’ll have more daylight time after work or school and it also reduces energy consumption as you don’t need to turn the lights on in the evening. 

Daylight saving begins in October and ends in April, when clocks are moved back one hour to allow for more daylight in the morning. Just remember: spring forward, fall back. 

Why does Queensland not have daylight savings?

Queensland actually gave daylight savings a red hot crack in the early 90s for three years, which was then followed by a 1992 referendum where 54.5% of voters were against adopting the change permanently. While the majority of South-East Queensland voted ‘yes’ to daylight savings, those further north and west weren’t a fan of the hotter evenings and changing schedules for farming.  

What about now?

Like the State of Origin, the daylight savings debate in Queensland is revisited regularly and vocally. Looking ahead to the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, an expert panel chaired by Powderfinger bassist John ‘JC’ Collins is looking into how we can boost the state’s nightlife economy to ensure we’re in primo shape when the global spotlight is on us. A key suggestion is introducing daylight savings, which has been backed by many hospo groups who would appreciate more patrons later in the night. 

The Queensland Government, however, has nipped that proposal straight in the bud, with Premier David Crisafulli saying daylight savings in Queensland is a “hard no” from him. 

Whether you’re for or against daylight savings, I think there’s one thing we can all agree on: the cows will be okay.

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Main image credit: Tourism and Events Queensland | Matt Raimondo