Daylight saving time begins this Sunday

25 September 2019

Lighter evenings make a welcome reappearance on Sunday 29 September, when Daylight saving time begins.

Clocks will go forward by one hour at 2.00 am (02.45 for the Chatham Islands) and daylight saving time will continue until Sunday 5 April 2020, when clocks will go back by one hour to NZ Standard Time.

Many New Zealanders will experience a seamless transition, with modern electronic devices adjusting automatically. However, older devices may need to be adjusted manually.

While adjusting your clocks and other devices, it is also a good time to check your emergency plans, survival kits and smoke alarms.

Background History
Daylight saving was introduced in 1927, however the dates and times were changed several times over the following years.

During the mid-1940s, daylight saving time was discontinued and New Zealand standard time was ‘advanced’ year-round by half an hour. This lasted until 1974 when time was ‘set back’ again by half an hour, and the advance of one hour in summer was reintroduced.

The rationale for Daylight Saving over the summer months is that if standard time is applied year-round, a significant portion of the longer sunlight hours will fall in the early morning. Because many people tend to sleep in the early morning hours, these hours of sunlight are seen as being wasted, whereas if they are shifted to the evening, they can be more useful.

In 2007 Parliament officially extended Daylight Saving by three weeks from the last Sunday of September to the first Sunday of April.

Further information on daylight saving time and the laws that govern it can be found on the New Zealand Government website:
https://www.govt.nz/browse/recreation-and-the-environment/daylight-saving

ends

Media Desk
Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs
Mobile: +64 27 535 8639 email: media@dia.govt.nz