A push to change South Australia's time zone has been revived in State Parliament's Upper House by Family First MP Robert Brokenshire.

Mr Brokenshire has introduced a Private Member's Bill to move an hour behind the eastern states or to so-called "true meridian" time.

Last month the State Government abandoned its push to wind clocks forward half an hour because its proposed legislation was doomed to fail.

Mr Brokenshire believed there was no appetite to match the eastern states, but said his proposal would benefit farmers and businesses who trade with Asia.

"One thing that does give us an advantage is to actually show to our growth markets in Asia and Japan, in South Korea as examples that we are so committed to grow the South Australian economy with those good people in those regions, that we're prepared to shift our time zone closer to them.

He said a change would also ease problems caused by extended daylight saving.

"It would offset some of the ridiculous situation in April where you're driving a tractor along the Victor Harbor Road with two bales of hay as I do in the mornings, at quarter past seven, in April with all your flashing lights on, all your lights on because it's pitch black dark, at Mt Compass," he said.

The Government had argued aligning with the eastern states would help business, make it easier for tourists and remove a perception that SA was "out of touch".

At the time, it promised yet to be released modelling would make a "compelling case" for change.

That work was tabled this week in Parliament.

It shows that during 2012/13 114,000 South Australian jobs were related to interstate exports.

Just over 65,000 were related to overseas exports.

Mr Brokenshire said he had broad public support for his bill.

"I did put up a poll as well and further in the debate on this," he told Parliament.

"I'll declare to the house what that poll was but suffice to say in generalisation of the poll, the absolute majority of people did support this bill that is they want to go back to the true Meridian."

Time zone change would 'need to have social, economic benefits'

He said he hoped to gain the Opposition's support but thought the Government would "dig in its heels" because its bid to change the time zone failed.

Minister for Investment and Trade Martin Hamilton-Smith said the Government had completed a thorough consultation of arguments for and against a time zone change and there was a "compelling" case for South Australia to be aligned with the eastern states.

"It has always been the State Government's view that any change made to the time zone, would need to be for the social and economic benefit of the state," he said.

"This week the State Government released an economic study into the value of South Australia's export activity, which showed around 114,000 South Australian jobs are dependent on interstate exports.

"There was a compelling economic case to align ourselves with the eastern states."

A vote on the bill is expected in the New Year.

