Wednesday, 18 October 2006

Dunne to launch daylight saving petition

United Future leader Peter Dunne will launch a petition on Friday in conjunction with Nelson City councillor Mark Holmes to extend the period of daylight saving in New Zealand.

The petition will be launched at the Reef Knot Sculpture between the Visitor Information Centre & the Maitai River in Nelson at 1pm.

The petition seeks an extra three weeks of extended daylight in the evenings with New Zealand daylight saving time to begin on the last Sunday in September and end on the first Sunday in April.

The petition forms will be distributed around Nelson and among interested groups nationwide. It will also be downloadable off the United Future website at www.unitedfuture.org.nz or through Mark Holmes at mark.holmes@ncc.govt.nz.

"The benefits of an extension to daylight saving include: greater opportunities for recreational activities after work hours; a reduction in energy usage due to a decrease in the use of lights, televisions and other electrical appliances; and the extension of the summer tourist season, resulting in an increase in tourist-related activities and a longer high season for tourist operators," said Mr Dunne

"Currently New Zealand enjoys only 24 weeks of daylight saving as opposed to 28 weeks without it. Meanwhile, Tasmania has 26 weeks of daylight saving time and Europe 31 weeks with the clocks forward. The precedent for an extension definitely exists," concluded Mr Dunne.

ENDS

© Scoop Media