Should Daylight Saving time be extended in New Zealand?

[JennyLeez]

New Zealand started to observe Daylight Saving in 1927, the practice of putting the clocks forward by an hour during the summer months. 

Since 2007 New Zealand DST begins at 02:00 (NZST) on the last Sunday in September each year, ending at 03:00 (NZDT) on the first Sunday in April.

However a Poll run by stuff.co.nz last year indicates Kiwis would like DayLight Saving extended by another month which would mean turning our clocks back in early May, as opposed to early April.

So how do you feel about this.
Would you like to see it extended another month into May?
Is Daylight Saving already too long?
or
Would you prefer it be abolished altogether?

Please vote above in NZLW's Poll and add any comments/opinions below.

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[PaulMy]

From the dates listed looks like about 26 weeks of DST, or half the year.

We in North America mostly have it now from 2nd Sunday March to 1st Sunday November or about 34 weeks, about 4 weeks were added in 2007 (3 weeks in the spring and 1 in the fall) so before then about 30 weeks.  The State of Arizona, USA and the Province of Saskatchewan, CA do not change to daylight savings time, as well as a few other areas in Canada's North.

Canada's south is pretty well obliged to follow suit with our American border states for economical and travel reasons.

Enjoy the day,
Paul

[ato2]

I would be quite happy for it to be extended by starting at the second Sunday in September and ending second Sunday in in April.
For New Plymouth, for the next lot of Daylight Saving it would mean: Start 9th September, 2018: sunrise at 7.34am, sunset 7.08pm NZDT.
Last day of daylight saving: 13th April 2019: sunrise at 7.48am, sunset 6.59pm NZDT

Perhaps the April end may need more thinking as the mornings would be darker than the start.

[Wolfie33]

I agree ato2
If I recall correctly the current start doesn't quite "fit", but the end feels about right.

[ato2]

The other thing is the fact that we have nearly half an hour built in already, in that the central longtitude of the country is not really 12 hours ahead of Greenwich but closer to 11 and a half hours ahead.

Although NZ is rather narrow, its great length - running from approx NE to SW- means it spans quite a range of longtitude and the difference from "standard time," compared to the Sun, from east to west coasts, can be quite noticeable.

[Rwood]

I agree ato2
If I recall correctly the current start doesn't quite "fit", but the end feels about right.

The other thing is the fact that we have nearly half an hour built in already, in that the central longtitude of the country is not really 12 hours ahead of Greenwich but closer to 11 and a half hours ahead.

Although NZ is rather narrow, its great length - running from approx NE to SW- means it spans quite a range of longtitude and the difference from "standard time," compared to the Sun, from east to west coasts, can be quite noticeable.
[/quote]

Yes- ranges from about 6 minutes to 54 minutes. I would be happy with another 2 weeks at the start of the current range, so that daylength then would be closer to that when it ends in April. But preferences will always depend on whether one prefers evening extras rather than morning ones. In Paris they are about 50 minutes ahead on the clock, plus the DST in summer - and in Brest it's 80 minutes plus DST extras in summer!

[JennyLeez]

I personally would prefer daylight saving 12 months of the year but this is only because of my sleeping pattern.
Daylight early morning is of no use to me at all. I am asleep.

But losing an hour early evening makes a huge difference as to what I can achieve each day.

Just my penny's worth

[TonyC]

Hmmm, interesting topic. One which you'll never please all of the people all of the time. The dates chosen will always be a compromise.

If there had been a voting option for the status quo, I probably would have settled for that.
Having been retired for over 14 years, I take each day as it comes and fit the days activities into whatever is dished out by the weather or daylight availability. 

Age allows one a philosophical viewpoint 

TC

[JennyLeez]

I think the biggy for me eventually @TonyC  will be when my day is not governed around the clock.
When I can get up when I want, eat when I want, pee when I want..... lol

Nonetheless even when I retire, in Winter the nights will still close in early and I will still lose useful daylight.

[JennyLeez]

With one week left of extra daylight early evening I am bumping this up for anyone who has not voted or voiced their opinion.

Cheers
Jenny

[Mark]

If the B.C. government has its way, Premier John Horgan said residents won’t be making the time change on their clocks and watches in the future.
“Today is a very good day for those who are tired of changing their clocks. We heard overwhelmingly from British Columbians that they wanted to stop the process of falling and springing forward,” Horgan said.
The countdown is now on towards staying on permanent Daylight Saving Time or Pacific Time. The legislation is now tabled to get rid of changing the time twice a year. According to 93 per cent or more than 225,000 British Columbians who responded to a government survey, they want to stop the clocks.
https://www.cheknews.ca/b-c-legislation-will-stop-the-clock-on-time-change-but-time-will-still-change-sunday-618724/

[Rwood]

Vancouver standard time is aligned about 13 minutes ahead of "true" longitude time (NZ locations vary between 8 minutes and 40+ minutes). Permanent daylight saving there would be less drastic than of most of NZ.

[ato2]

I am with you on that one. Keeping the current daylight saving regime all year makes for very dark Winter mornings.
Shortest Day sunrises: Kaitaia would be 8.35 am, Gisborne would be 8.25 am. Christchurch 9.03 am. Invercargill 9.30am. Te Anau 9.39 am.

[Sheldybett]

No, there is no point extending my another month which is rather ridiculous, especially early may and even two weeks.