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The debate for daylight saving continues
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With much discussion over the introduction of daylight saving in Queensland, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia has again entered the debate, claiming that loss of business opportunities, communication difficulties and other negative impacts are reason enough for the Beattie Government to remove the one hour time difference between Queensland and the southern states of Australia over Summer. 
 
The impacts were raised in a survey, conducted with more than 1000 of the state’s leading business professionals, which was released by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Queensland Branch earlier this year.  
 
The business community survey revealed: 

  • 76% of those surveyed were in favour of the State adopting daylight saving to prevent a one-hour time difference with the southern states
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  • 71% of respondents believe that the southeast corner of Queensland, from Noosa to the Gold Coast and west of Toowoomba should also adopt daylight savings and
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  • 67% believed that the one-hour time difference impacted negatively on business activities, citing that the inconvenience and communication difficulties were viewed as the two most pressing reasons to make the switch for business.
 
Other negative impacts highlighted in the study included lost business opportunities, the cost and time of travel, lost productivity and increased banking and technical service difficulties out of normal trading times. 
 
“The economic good of the State along with improving business efficiency need to be the State Government’s priority when considering the issue of daylight saving,” Mr Grant said. 
 
“If the time difference is making it more difficult to do business then the situation needs to be addressed by the government. For Queenslander’s travelling interstate Queensland businesses are giving the NSW and Victorian hotel industry a real boost. They must love it when the clocks change”  
 
“The overwhelming response to the survey, by business professionals, is that daylight savings is impacting on their organisations, clients and employers in a negative way,” he said. 
 
Mr Grant said that with the business community supportive of the move he hopes there will not be too much resistance to the idea. Queensland and Western Australia are the only states not to adopt daylight savings and the local impact is particularly frustrating to businesses, with most commercial and most Commonwealth Government head offices in the southeast states of Australia. 
 
“This change will be a win - win situation for the business community, the general public and government bodies,” he said.