The countdown is on for daylight savings… tantrums. Daylight savings (DST) is well and truly here, we need no countdown for that. Now, as sure as day follows night, spring and summer for the DST period follows winter, arguments for and against daylight savings across Queensland come. It’s an annual ritual.
Daylight savings first began in 1916, in a far away land called Tasmania. Slowly, it creeped north and west across the mainland, covering New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory. Now, Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has gotten on the daylight savings-bandwagon early on in this 2022-2023 DST period, already pushing for the Queensland Government to trial it again. He believes people deserve another opportunity to trial daylight savings and argues it is costing the Sunshine State economically. He quotes a study estimating the state misses out on up to $4 billion without DST. But, Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill has made it clear locals north of the Tropic of Capricorn just don’t need daylight savings.
The state voted against DST following a trial in the 1990s, and it was especially unpopular outside south-east Queensland. I can’t imagine the sentiments would have changed in Central Queensland. As Rockhampton is the Beef Capital, I’ll use what I think is probably a description many people would use for daylight savings – as useless as teats on a bull.
However, I can see the rationale behind Cr Schrinner’s argument. There are many pros and cons for daylight savings. I’m going to outline them for you so you can say you’ve been properly informed before you decide not to change your mind and maintain your current position in your next daylight savings-related argument or rant. For those who wish to be more informed, or to brush up on their yearly DST knowledge in several sentences; the benefits of daylight savings include improved mental health, a better sex life because of improved sleep, more recreation and commerce, less crime and less road fatalities, according to researchers. However, daylight savings does have a dark side, according to those who have studied it. It wreaks havoc on people’s brains because of the sudden changes to sleep patterns and there are findings against arguments of energy savings. The main arguments appear to be that it both improves and disrupts sleep life based on a push for people getting up earlier. One researcher encourages people to embrace their inner sloth and sleep in.
We might have more southerners accustomed to DST-living in Queensland now, especially in SEQ, but I think it is extremely unlikely that the government will hold another trial. The State Government would not see another trial as a vote-winner, particularly in regional and rural areas. If anything, it could likely paint the government as out of touch with everyone outside Brisbane. Then, we will again be hearing Bob Katter’s arguments for a separate state across North Queensland. Another familiar push for a huge change to Queensland’s future. However, this one often comes from outside SEQ, not the other way around.
