New Year’s Eve fireworks in Elder Park could be replaced with a light show under plans before Adelaide City Council
Heading to Elder Park to ring in the new year? Enjoy the fireworks, because they could be no more if two councillors get their way with a different plan.
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Adelaide’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display on Tuesday night could go out with a bigger bang than expected – with the city council looking to scrap the spectacle.
Councillors Alexander Hyde and Anne Moran want staff to look at replacing the $100,000 fireworks event with a laser and light show. Thousands are expected to cram Elder Park to watch the fireworks spectacular despite calls by Cr Moran for this year’s display to be cancelled as a show of respect for bushfire victims.
Cr Hyde said a choreographed light show, potentially featuring a performance of synchronised drones, would create an “innovative” and “world-class” celebration for the city as well as reducing carbon emissions.
“It’s (fireworks) an old form of entertainment, it does have charm, but I reckon there could be something new and better done,” says Cr Hyde, the deputy lord mayor.
He said it was not clear if the light show would be cheaper.
Cr Hyde said he had been considering the idea for some time and was not acting in response to Cr Moran’s demands to scrap tonight’s show.
On Sunday he lodged a motion with council about scrapping future fireworks, a day before fronting the media to talk up tonight’s extravaganza.
“I’m in favour of keeping the fireworks for this New Year’s Eve, there are thousands of families going there,” he said.
Cr Moran maintained that cancelling tonight’s fireworks would be “a sensitive gesture to those suffering”.
“I think it’s a bit insensitive. I think we really should look at doing a light show,” she said.
“It would be a lovely spectacle but it won’t be blowing gun powder out all night.”
Cr Moran will also move a motion at the first council meeting for 2020 calling for the council to ban public and private fireworks in its jurisdiction during summer.
Cr Hyde and Cr Moran’s light show proposals for future New Year’s Eve events will be debated on January 28.
Meanwhile, Sydney firefighters have declared it safe to carry out the NYE fireworks on the harbour. The iconic display pumps $130 million into the NSW economy.
