Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks will go ahead despite hundreds of thousands of people signing a petition calling on them to be cancelled out of respect for the victims of the recent bushfires.
The petition, started six weeks ago, calls for the $5.8 million budget for the fireworks to be redirected to bushfire and drought relief projects."All states should say NO to FIREWORKS. This may traumatise some people as there is enough smoke in the air." Fireworks displays across New South Wales had already been cancelled but the City of Sydney today said Sydney's famous fireworks display would go ahead as planned.
"Like everyone we at the City of Sydney are deeply affected by what we've been seeing over these last months," Tanya Goldberg, Head of Audience for Major Events and Festivals at the City of Sydney said.The council said lengthy planning had gone into the event. "Preparations for these celebrations begun 15 months ago, which means most of the budget largely used for crowd safety has already been spent," Ms Goldberg said.In response to the backlash, the council said it would promote the Red Cross Disaster Recovery and Relief Fund during the fireworks broadcast and donate more than $600,000 to support communities and wildlife impacted by bushfire and the drought.
Why the focus on Sydney? Are the other cities cancelling?
Imagine you had lost your home and everything in it!!!!!! Fireworks are fire risk. Hope you all stay safe and fire free. H a lot New Year
😡
Money better spent this year on the RFS.... Sickeningly selfish to do this this year 🤨😠😡
SHUT IT DOWN SHUT IT DOWN. nswpol GladysB
Bwaahaa bush fire in the CBD. You’ve left the work experience kid in charge over the break haven’t you.
The fireworks will not be cancelled b/c million$ of tickets r already booked for venues, inc. previously free public spaces, to watch the crackers.
I consider a fireworks extravaganza would be totally inappropriate after the enormous loss of lives .. human and animal.
I'm sure everyone will still go out and enjoy the show. If the people really want them to discontinue they will not watch them live or on the telly. I don't watch them anymore.
And now people are gonna think it’s okay to set off their own fireworks. FeelsBadMan
ABC again contributing to anything that makes the Coalition look bad and fuels panic
Bread and circus.
Surely this day and age, not to mention drought/fires a laser light show would be more appropriate!!!
those contracted to do the fireworks could just not do it,,
Boycott
seriously....arent we all a bit over fireworks...they pollute the air..really nothing dramatically changes. the italian family who run it make a cracker each year...do a laser show like hong kong or shanghai..the LNP have. contacts..just saying..
What are they thinking Totally reckless and inappropriate auspol
S.T.U.P.I.D.
Where’s the bush in darling harbour?
Australians need no water, let the motherfuckers burn! :-)
Boycott the fireworks $ 6.5 million for those who are struggling
There's no bush in the middle of the harbour. Experts have recommended all other fireworks be banned but Sydney is safe to go ahead. Also, the money has already been spent. Cancelling now will just be a waste of money.
The Fed & State gov’ts have not engaged in the firework discussion in any symbolic way. They are pretending the national disaster doesn’t exist. What a cringeworthy moment it will be as the country still burns and the fireworks are released on New Year’s Eve.
I would ask for the lights to go out for 30 minutes, to try to see the stars in the sky.
Sydney should do what the Gold Coast Casino is doing & donate their budget to providing for fire, drought, dairy, Farmers...
Oh great....So we have to put up with their ' look at us, look at us' bullshit for 3 days after NYE, what a load of wank
FFS
Thumbs down 👎🏻 not enough smoke for us. And blistering Heat. But the fireworks must go ahead. We can’t knock back the tourism dollars. That’s all that matters apparently 🥵🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💥☄️✨⛈⛈⛈⛈⛈
what an insult! - LNP are lower than a snake's belly - celebrating deaths of people in fire, over 1,000 homes lost, wildlife burned - all elitists wanting their public funded waterfront mansion views - stuff them, hope the fireworks burn ALL their houses down
we aren’t a bunch of brain dead morons who need to celebrate with fire this year. We have had enough! it’s crystal clear no one wants the fire works. might be a good time to work out how to generate wealth in a real and sustainable way - not by blowing up some sparkly shit
$6 million cost of fireworks is enough to house all the homeless in Martin Place!!! Not saying either/or. But if can afford one, why not t’other? auspol HomelessCrisis homeless
I'm thinking the weather (smoke haze) might have another opinion anyways...
Tourism over common sense?
Laser show would be better. Disgusting waste and fingers up to firefighters victims and the planet. Make it stop.
Yeah right, how perverse & obscene. The state, the bloody country, is on fire & you “celebrate” with fire & explosive. What sort of idiocy it this? All that money which could be spent on something useful ... but no, bread & circuses
Already paid for the fireworks- so use them to reward our firefighters by letting them start their backburns with Roman Candles and other explosives! Every colourful flare helps light the backburn and says thanks with a little bit of fun. NSWbushfires
If it is a total fire ban day then surely fireworks would not be allowed anywhere
Or...the entitlement will go ahead despite bushfire risk.
Yeah, that water has been known to catch fire pretty quickly.
This is sick
Just imagine the political fortitude it would take & good will it would generate to cancel the fireworks, & donate the money to the firefighters in the bush for the last 8-10 weeks. And then think about the politicians who won’t do it. auspoI
Despite what? How far do you think those things travel?
Why, drought farmers and bushfires, now fireworks up in smoke, bit insulting to rural thats suffering just so sydney can have some fun, tipicle contradictions, and hos many millions of dollars, easy come easy go as long as someone elses is paying for it, usually victims
Why not give the money tp the firies, and have a climate march instead
That’s dreadful, CloverMoore, I thought you were made of stronger stuff. Never mind the bushfire risk, it’s the principle that you’ll burn millions of dollars in frippery while the state is ablaze. Fire is a dirty word. You should be ashamed.
Australia voted to ignore climate change, cancelling the fireworks would call to much attention to it.
Fucked up
Shameful! Absolutely shameful
Bushfire risk? Metal salts launched into the air and burn out in 30 seconds over a big body of water... Hmm...
What a stupid idea to conti ue. Stop living in the past and clean up your act Australia..
Will face masks be supplied by Scomomustgo ScottFromMarketing
Have all the people claiming SYDNEY has no bush ever actually been to Sydney. What do you call the Sydney Harbour National Park?
Idiotic
Disgusting. Idiotic. Shocking. Revealing
Twitter is not the real world!! I suggest you observe the millions who will be enjoying the fireworks New Years ! That will show the true sentiment of the population over keyboard warriors !
How irresponsible!
Classic GladysB no care for the environment or sensitivity to flora and fauna. Expecting the fireworks on the bridge to spell COAL or GAMBLING
What the actual fuck? Will Scotty from marketing play the fiddle?
Loos like a 15km distance to where any amount of brush is via google earth. Depends if there is a sustained wind & what direction. As to the appropriateness of going on ahead w/NYE celly in ref to the deaths from the fires, well that w/e you Aussies say it is.
I’d be asking the Q, will the smoke haze from the local fires mask the spectacle?
It is a sad fact, but we are going to have to get over our ridiculously superfluous love of blowing shit up.
Appeasement for the masses and all is forgotten
Not so much a bushfire risk in the middle of Sydney, but there is a SHIT TON on toxic smoke, metal particles & chemicals for the people & animals of Sydney to breath, on top of the bushfire smoke - it should be cancelled, it is INSANE
Why?
GladysB LiberalNSW you need to start LEADING !
Apalling with all the fires smoke people suffering. Disgraceful amount of money that could be far better spent farmers water fires
You can’t declare a climate emergency and then have fireworks . If the council believes co2 is heating the planet dangerously why would they voluntarily release unnecessary co2 ?
What
Even if there's a Statewide Total Fireban
Not sure anything with the word fire in it should be used as a celebration in this country right now, unless it’s proper payment to fire fighters...
Sydney allowed a horse race to be advertised on the opera house sails. Ad-hoc and tacky is all Sydney knows how to do and it’s why it will never be as nice as many other cities.
Chinese people love Fireworks. It must proceed. Despite the risks or mood of the Nation
This is so disgusting
1. How is the Sydney Harbour fireworks a bushfire risk? 2. How will stopping the Sydney Harbour fireworks help the firies? 3. Why are people making a false binary choice between a celebration for the mostly-working class masses and good environmental policy?
Big fire bad. Small fire good. 🤷🏼♀️
Lives lost, half a billion animals incinerated, livelihoods and properties destroyed, communities wiped off the map ... WE SHOULD BE IN A STATE OF MOURNING GladysB not fit for purpose ,koalakiller lacks leadership and moral compass NSWRFS BBC_HaveYourSay
Bit more smoke, another person unable to breathe. LNP don’t give a shit about people
Let us celebrate the brutal deaths of over 450 million animals in these bush fires! Australians are becoming the most despicable humans on this planet!
No no no
Clover Moore and her Sydney Council manage the fireworks. I thought a few months back Clover and the Council voted and put in place a climate emergency. Putting on a fireworks display seems at odds with the climate emergency even more so given the current bushfires. Cancel them
That’s interesting , I haven’t seen ang bush in Sydney harbour lol. Are you getting the feeling that a lot of things said are just to torture people ? Time to wake up & not react ....
Is the bushfire in the bush?
Who’s right? 🤷♂️
I’ve never been a fan of fireworks. They’re completely overdone these days, and the novelty has gone. Why not consider a light show instead, less harmful to the environment & doesn’t add to the smoke level!
What risk?
There isn’t any Bush in Sydney CBD or the harbour so how is it a bushfire threat ?🤔
The flogs at the abc doubling down
Do ABC appear sad about this to U?
YES, I fully support a complete boycott of the NYE fireworks. Stay the course! Fight for your rights! They should not have them for [insert whatever reason currently trending]. That'll mean less traffic, more space, same show. Win/Win.
But I thought the Sydney Council had declared a 'Climate Emergency'. What happened to that?🤔
Bad decision to allow fireworks when NSW is burning. 👎🏻
A display of real consideration, acknowledgement of current fire crisis, leadership and worthy expenditure of public monies. Moronic.
How good are fireworks!
vicpengilley A tragic opportunity has been missed to at least partially offset the bad international reputation Australia clocked up in recent climate talks. Imagine the head line 'Sydney cancels fireworks as bush fires warn what global warming is about - nothing to celebrate'
👏👏👏 Common sense prevails🥂
.cityofsydney are being very irresponsible if they allow the NYE fireworks display to go ahead while the current fire danger is still very active. NSWRFS are expecting worsening conditions on New Year’s Eve . nswpol NSWbushfires AustraliaBurns
👎🏿 serious opportunity missed 👎🏽
Farmers going to the wall, people have lost their homes etc in bush fires, rampant homelessness but hey....lets waste millions on some fire crackers?! 🙄🤬
The entire world will discuss smoke, fires, climate change, & our governments lamentable strategy ScottMorrisonMP.
It would be interesting to know who provides the event with insurance? Is there an increase in insurance costs due to fire risk, or is the event insurable at all?
Life goes on...
Fireworks would have been paid for at least a few years ago, so not sure how people expect to use the money for aid when it's already spent. And more people want the fireworks than not so they will still go ahead. Plus the fireworks act as a potential tourism draw card as well.
Not a fan of the fireworks, but I’d ask where does this end? Would you cancel your birthday party? Should the Mardi Gras and ANZAC parade be cancelled because there are homeless people that could use the money? We still need some celebrations. Now perhaps even more so...
Could we become anymore dumb, don't care if it's paid for already, smoke isn't enough for Sydney give them some 🔥for the ambience
What climate emergency? Have the pennies not dropped yet in the NSW governmental corridors. MindBoggling
Good news.
So stoopid....$s to fire victims. Shows how selfish Sydney-siders are that attend. WOW GladysB you really don't know how to read the room
Sounds reasonable 😐 mowing to be reconsidered but fireworks are fine?
cancel them and give the money to the fire victims.
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