BUSINESS loves the idea, many regions hate it, and politicians bring it up regular as clockwork — South Australia is again talking about changing time zones.

The State Government yesterday reignited the debate about our most appropriate time zone, revealing new plans to end a century-old regime it says is “out of step with the rest of the nation”.

Premier Jay Weatherill has pledged two months of consultation on changes that could end in SA’s time zone being brought forward half an hour to match the eastern states.

It’s the seventh time since the mid-’80s adjusting our time zone has been seriously canvassed, with both sides of politics floating various changes.

Mr Weatherill said the Government was now willing to consider proposals including moving the SA time zone back closer to Western Australia’s, which would mean falling a full hour behind the eastern states.

He indicated a popular vote on any decision, as has been undertaken in other states, was unlikely to be held in SA.

“The business community has raised this issue with me on a number of occasions,” Mr Weatherill said. “The time is right to put the broader question to the community.

“We’re asking the people of South Australia to give consideration to the benefits, but we also want to hear about some of the potential costs of making such a change.”

Industry and Trade Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith will lead a consultation process before the Government decides on a final plan and introduces legislation.

If adopted, the transition would likely occur in October or April at a daylight savings change.

Business SA chief executive Nigel McBride said the state needed to move in line with the eastern capitals.

“It’s actually a bit of a litmus test,” he said. “The cultural cringe that we’ve got that we shouldn’t move away from silly arbitrary things needs to be challenged.

“Thirty minutes may well be a bit of a line in the sand for the state to say that it’s going to make big decisions, rather than pander to the lowest common denominator.”

Property Council of Australia SA executive director Daniel Gannon backed a time zone debate, but said the state “cannot afford to ignore other areas of serious economic reform, like tax, population growth, planning and shop trading hours”.

Lord Mayor Martin Haese said he was glad to see the debate back on the agenda.

“I’m particularly pleased to see the Government’s commitment to engaging on the idea and look forward to seeing whether people think it’s time for a change,” he said.

“We’re living in such interconnected communities these days and I think as a state we need to do what we can to better align ourselves nationally and indeed, internationally.”

Opposition Leader Steven Marshall said the Government was trying to distract public attention from its controversial plan to cut hospital services and close the Repatriation General Hospital.

“I’m happy to explore the issue, but it’s not the number one issue,” he said. “It’s clearly being used by a government that is embattled by its dangerous plans to close hospitals.”

Ceduna Mayor Allan Suter said shifting the clocks forward would be extremely unpopular on the West Coast and force children to attend school in the dark for parts of the year.

“It’s effectively another half an hour of daylight saving all year round,” he said.

“The extended daylight saving is causing a lot of problems for schoolchildren, and this will make that worse. Kids will be getting up in total darkness to travel to school and getting home in the middle of the afternoon and struggling to get to sleep.”

Mr Suter said many parents believed delaying school starts would upset work schedules.

Splitting the state into two time zones would be too confusing and complicated, he said.

Mr Suter said he expected “democracy will prevail” and the concerns of small regional communities would be overridden by support in Adelaide to shift the clocks forward.

Port Lincoln Mayor Bruce Green said his community was unlikely to support moving in line with the eastern states, and would rather a shift the other way.

“I don’t think the community would be even thinking about moving half an hour toward the eastern states, it would more be half an hour back toward WA,” he said.

“It’s always been an option with daylight saving that schools and communities do have the option of running to their own time, but that seldom works in practice.

“All the television shows and rest of the world still operates on their time.”

Primary Producers SA chairman Rob Kerin said many farmers were already able to operate on their own hours, but western regional communities would oppose change.

“Most of those guys adjust already, because they’re not really stuck to a clock,” he said.

“The debate hasn’t really been had for a while, and the world has changed a bit.”

Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles said he would not follow a lead from SA.

“The South Australian Premier asked me whether the Territory would be willing to join a campaign to change time zones,” Mr Giles said. “We won’t be getting involved unless there is some local push from Territorians for this to happen.”

Mr Weatherill said it was unlikely the state would finish with multiple time zones as would happen if Adelaide joined the eastern seaboard and SA’s West Coast stood alone.

“It would be more convenient for the whole of the state to move to a particular time zone,” he said. “For the far West Coast, there may be other administrative options about starting times for particular organisations which may avoid some of the effects they’re seeking to avoid, such as beginning the day in darkness.”

Family First MP Rob Brokenshire has pushed for SA to be a full hour behind the east coast and indicated he was unlikely to support winding the clocks forward.

“Family First have given the Government plenty of opportunity in the past to discuss this issue, but they were not interested when we put the idea before parliament,” he said.

“The Government are happy to take the taxes from Eyre Peninsula residents.

“It is time they put some thought back into their lifestyles and needs.”

Premier Jay Weatherill announces plans to change SA timezone. — Daniel Wills (@DanWillsTiser) February 5, 2015