Ruqayyah Snyder
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is a system where local time is advanced by one hour during the summer months and moved back by one hour in the winter. In Australia, DST is observed in the states of New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, and Victoria, as well as the Australian Capital Territory, Jervis Bay Territory, and Norfolk Island. However, Western Australia is one of the states that does not observe DST, along with Queensland, the Northern Territory, and other external territories. The decision to use DST is determined by each state and territory, and Western Australia has consistently voted against its implementation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Does Western Australia have daylight savings? | No, Western Australia does not currently have daylight savings. |
| When did Western Australia last have daylight savings? | Western Australia last observed daylight savings time in 2009. |
| Why doesn't Western Australia have daylight savings? | Western Australia has voted against having daylight savings in multiple referendums. |
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What You'll Learn
Western Australia last observed DST in 2009
Western Australia has not observed Daylight Saving Time (DST) since 2009. The state has had a particularly involved debate over DST, with the issue being put to a referendum four times in 1975, 1984, 1992, and 2009. All four referendums were defeated, with the 2009 vote being the highest at 54.57% against DST.
In 2006, the Parliament of Western Australia approved a three-year DST trial, which began on December 3, 2006, and ended in 2009. This trial period attracted much media attention and controversy, with businesses lobbying for a "yes" vote and beachside cafes in Perth experiencing a downturn in trade due to darker mornings. However, many farmers in rural areas rejected DST due to fears of increased sun exposure while working, a significant concern given the prevalence of skin cancer in Australia.
Following the trial, a referendum was held on May 16, 2009, which resulted in another rejection of DST, this time by a larger margin. The then-Premier Colin Barnett stated that the DST issue should not be considered for at least another 20 years. Despite this, the Daylight Saving Party was established in 2016 to contest seats in the Legislative Council, arguing that a generational shift in Western Australia would lead to a successful fifth referendum.
Since 2009, Western Australia has been on Standard time all year round. The state's decision not to observe DST has resulted in an inconsistent adoption of DST across Australia, with the mainland's three standard time zones increasing to five time zones during the Australian summer.
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Daylight Saving Bills have been rejected four times
Daylight saving time (DST) is not observed in Western Australia. The state last adopted DST in 2009, and since then, it has been on standard time all year round.
Western Australia has had a particularly involved debate over DST, with the issue being put to a referendum four times in 1975, 1984, 1992, and 2009. All four referendums were defeated, with the highest "no" vote of 54.57% in 2009. Each referendum followed a trial period during which the state observed DST.
The first three referendums followed a one-year trial, while the 2006 Western Australian Daylight Saving Bill (No. 2) instituted a daylight-saving trial that began on 3 December 2006 and lasted three years. In 2007, the WA Nationals announced a public campaign to bring the referendum forward to 2007, and it was defeated in 2009.
Some people in Western Australia have expressed their opposition to DST, stating that they do not want it and that it is a "dead issue." Others have criticised the state for being "small-minded" and "scared of genuine change." On the other hand, some have argued that DST is a ""stupid and backwards concept" that is increasingly being abandoned by other countries.
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Queensland has also debated DST
Queensland has also debated the implementation of DST. Queensland abandoned DST in 1972, but the state has observed DST on a trial basis several times since then. Queensland had a particularly involved debate over DST, with public opinion geographically divided. A referendum on DST was held on 22 February 1992, following a three-year trial, and was defeated with a 54.5% 'no' vote. The referendum result displayed a distinct trend – that public opinion on DST in Queensland is geographically divided, with the ''no' vote strongest in the north and west regional districts, while the 'yes' vote was strongest in the state's metropolitan south-east.
Since the early 2000s, there have been numerous petitions submitted to the Queensland Parliament, lobbying for the introduction of DST or for another referendum to be held. A petition in 2006 was signed by 62,232 people. In response to these petitions, then-Queensland Premier Peter Beattie commissioned research to find out if DST should be reintroduced into Queensland. At the time, Beattie claimed that DST in Queensland would increase the rate of skin cancer in the state, a claim for which there was no evidence, according to the Queensland Cancer Fund. In October 2007, the completed government-commissioned research was presented to a newly sworn-in Premier, Anna Bligh, who ruled out holding a new referendum, despite the report indicating 59% of Queensland residents and 69% of South East Queenslanders to be in favour of adopting DST.
In response to the Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Referendum Bill 2010, which called for a referendum to be held on the introduction of DST in South East Queensland, Premier Bligh announced a community consultation process, which resulted in over 74,000 respondents participating, 64% of whom voted in favour of a trial and 63% were in favour of holding a referendum. However, the Bligh Government ultimately decided not to support the Bill, because regional Queenslanders were overwhelmingly opposed to DST. The Bill was defeated in Queensland Parliament on 15 June 2011.
Support for DST in Queensland has been on the rise in recent years, with research showing that attitudes have changed due to an influx of migration. However, in the lead-up to the October 2024 state election, both major parties ruled out changes to Queensland's time zone, indicating that the debate will continue.
Scientists and medical professionals have largely opposed the implementation of DST in Queensland, citing the adverse health effects of disrupting the body's internal clock or circadian rhythm. Economically, sleep deprivation alone is estimated to cost approximately 2% of a country's GDP, which for Queensland, equates to an approximate loss of $9 billion per year, offsetting any potential economic benefits of DST. However, supporters of DST argue that it would provide an extra hour of social time and promote economic benefits, estimated to be around $4 billion per year for Queensland.
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DST was federally mandated during WWI and WWII
Western Australia does not observe daylight saving time (DST). The last time the state observed DST was in 2009. Since then, it has been on standard time all year round.
In Australia, each state and territory determines whether or not to use DST. However, during World War I and World War II, all states and territories were federally mandated to observe DST under the defence power in section 51 of the constitution.
The use of DST during World War I and World War II was a strategy to conserve fuel needed for war industries and extend the working day. In the US, the first law to establish DST was passed on March 19, 1918, in the midst of World War I. Similarly, during World War II, Congress passed a law in 1942 to implement DST and promote "national security and defense." The idea of changing time to assist in the war effort was so connected to World War II that DST became commonly known as "wartime."
After World War I, the law establishing DST in the US was repealed in 1919, and a similar repeal occurred after World War II, with no nationwide standard for about 20 years, causing confusion and even affecting the US military's promptness.
In Australia, Tasmania was the first state since the world wars to adopt DST in 1967. In 1971, several other states and territories followed suit, but Western Australia and the Northern Territory did not. Western Australia has had a particularly involved debate over DST, with the issue being put to referendum four times (in 1975, 1984, 1992, and 2009), all of which were defeated.
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WA has been on standard time since 2009
Western Australia has not observed Daylight Saving Time (DST) since 2009, instead remaining on standard time all year round. While other Australian states and territories have implemented DST, WA has consistently rejected it through multiple referendums.
In 2006, the Parliament of Western Australia approved a three-year daylight saving trial, which began on December 3, 2006. This trial period was intended to be followed by a referendum to decide whether DST should be permanently adopted. However, public opposition to DST grew during the trial, and the WA Nationals launched a campaign to bring the referendum forward to 2007. Despite the efforts to end the trial early, it continued until its originally scheduled conclusion in 2009.
The 2009 referendum resulted in a 54.57% "no" vote, the highest of all the referendums held on the issue in WA. This decisive rejection of DST reflected the consistent sentiment in WA against adopting this time change. Prior referendums in 1975, 1984, and 1992 had also failed to implement DST in the state, with each followed by a trial period of observation.
The decision to remain on standard time has been a point of contention for some in WA, who feel that the state is resistant to change and out of step with the majority of Australia, where DST is observed. However, others in the state have expressed their satisfaction with the current arrangement, finding the concept of DST antiquated and unnecessary.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Western Australia does not observe Daylight Saving Time (DST).
Yes, Western Australia last observed DST in 2009. There was also a three-year trial of DST between 2006 and 2009.
The people of Western Australia have voted against DST in four referendums, in 1975, 1984, 1992, and 2009.
DST is when local time is advanced by one hour during the summer months and put back one hour in the winter.
