But the prospect of introducing daylight saving would also face Queenslanders’ love for the status quo, according to political researcher at the University of Queensland Dr Chris Salisbury.

In the year to June 21, more than 30,000 interstate migrants came to Queensland and many of them would have settled in the south east. Most would be from states where daylight saving was entrenched and generally would be in favour of it.

That wave of settlers would have continued through the year as the housing boom took hold and southerners moved in droves to Queensland.

Salisbury said there has been a concentration of Queensland’s population in the southeast since the 1992 referendum on the issue.

“Roughly 60 per cent of Queensland population was in the south east 30 years ago, but now it’s 72 per cent and as was the case in the last referendum most of the pro-daylight saving sentiment was in the south east.

“If that kind of sentiment is maintained today you would expect a bigger portion of the yes vote in any referendum.’’

The last vote on the issue in 1992 was lost 54 per cent to 45, but the vote was strongly in favour in the south east, particularly on the Gold Coast.

The issue was reignited by Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner who pointed out that anyone under the age of 48 had not had a say on daylight saving, including him. 

“Plus, anyone who has moved to the state in the last 30 years did not get a say,” Schrinner said.

“That means that over three million out of the five million people in Queensland didn’t get a say.” 

Not that a referendum was needed to implement the change, but the idea of introducing daylight saving to just the south east would be problematic.

“It’s politically fraught,’’ Salisbury said. 

“There are all kinds of economic arguments and quite convincing ones for people in the southeast and particularly those communities close to the border.

“It’s a divisive issue in terms of sentiment but it also feeds into that split state undercurrent that tends to bubble away.

“Particularly when governments are sensitive to regional needs and desires. No government wants to add fuel to the fire that they govern from George St and forget the rest of the state.”

He said Queenslanders had an aversion to change.

“I’ve been looking at federal election voting trends and we have a reputation as a conservative voting state but it’s more of a status quo voting state,” he said.

“We seem to be hesitant to accept change.

“We like our status quo here until it’s time for a change and then the tide goes out a long way.”