The clocks change on Sunday. Your shift and interstate plans may change too

Your phone may change the time automatically on Sunday. An appointment, overnight roster or interstate call still needs checking.

In NSW, daylight saving begins at 2am on Sunday 4 October 2026, when clocks advance to 3am. Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the ACT also observe daylight saving. Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia do not. [1][2]

For many people, a correctly configured phone will handle the display. That does not guarantee that every meeting invitation, manually set clock or work arrangement has been checked.

Put a place beside the time

“Nine on Monday” is clear when everyone works in the same location. It becomes less clear when a Sydney organiser, a Brisbane participant and a Perth colleague have different assumptions.

After the change, 9am in Sydney is 8am in Brisbane and 6am in Perth. Keep those differences in mind when arranging a call. The RBA lists which jurisdictions observe daylight saving. [2]

For a recurring appointment, check whether it is anchored to a named local timezone or a fixed offset. A recurring 9am Sydney appointment should remain 9am in Sydney, while its equivalent elsewhere can move. A fixed offset can behave differently.

Open the next occurrence of a recurring event in your calendar. For an important appointment, confirm the local time with the other person.

Overnight workers should check the applicable rules

Fair Work says employees should check their award, enterprise agreement or employment contract for provisions covering work when the clocks change. Its guidance explains that where those documents say nothing about daylight saving, pay is based on the clock's start and finish times rather than simply the elapsed hours. [3]

That can mean an employee works an hour less during the spring change but receives payment for the usual clock-based shift. Do not assume the same outcome applies without checking the instrument covering the work. This article is general information, not a determination of an individual's pay entitlement.

If you manage a roster, identify the shifts crossing the change before payroll is processed. Record the scheduled times and the applicable rule. If you work the shift, raise the question early with payroll or use Fair Work's official guidance.

For care visits and other timed services

If you organise care visits, check overnight handovers, interstate coordination and transport pickups. Recurring appointments entered manually also need a look, especially where someone depends on the visit.

State the date, location and expected arrival time. If a service is rescheduled, make sure the change reaches the person receiving it as well as the team calendar. Do not put sensitive client information into a general group message simply to confirm a time.

This is an administrative check, not clinical advice. Questions about timed medicines or treatment should go to the relevant health professional rather than being resolved by a calendar article.

A short check before the weekend

Check next week's interstate meetings, early departures and overnight shifts. Adjust clocks that need setting manually and include a timezone on shared invitations.

For travellers, follow the local times shown on the operator's booking and confirm any uncertainty with the operator. For event organisers, include a city or timezone in the public notice, particularly if people will watch online from other states.

The next NSW change back to standard time is listed for 4 April 2027. [1] Save that as a reminder if you manage recurring arrangements, but verify the applicable location and official dates when the next change approaches.

The Fair Work Ombudsman's video below explains pay when daylight saving starts. Check your award, agreement or contract for the rules covering your shift.

Image: A decorative clock with Roman numerals. Illustrative file photograph. Credit: Ales Krivec aleskrivec. Wikimedia Commons original. CC0. No image edits.