New Year’s Eve fireworks accident like a sign from God, Adelaide councillor says.
Adelaide councillor Anne Moran says a small fire sparked by pyrotechnics near the River Torrens was like “God’s hands” warning the city against the fireworks display.
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A fire sparked by Adelaide City Council’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display bolsters calls to replace the event with a light show, a councillor says.
The 9pm fireworks display in Elder Park set alight a section of reeds on the River Torrens, sending flames 5m into the air.
The event’s pyrotechnician advised the council the fire was caused by falling ash from the fireworks.
No one in the 50,000-strong crowd was injured by the fire, which the council said was in an exclusion zone and extinguished within three minutes.
The city’s midnight fireworks went ahead as planned.
Days before the event, Deputy Lord Mayor Alexander Hyde called on the council to consider replacing future fireworks display with a “world-class” light show.
Cr Anne Moran had also called for the display to be cancelled as a “sensitive gesture for those suffering” as a result of bushfires.
She said the fire caused by the display was “a metaphor for the whole inappropriateness of the show”.
“It was just God's hands saying ‘stop doing this’,” she said today.
Cr Moran said Adelaide’s summer weather conditions were too dangerous for fireworks.
“We’re too tinder dry at this time of the year, even in the city. It was an idiotic thing to do.”
She agreed a light show would be an appropriate alternative to fireworks on New Year’s Eve.
Cr Hyde said the riverbank fire was unfortunate.
However, he said his push for a light show was more about finding an “innovative”, environmentally friendly alternative, rather than reducing the risk of a fire.
“It’s ironic that it’s the first time in 30 years it’s happened,” he said.
“It doesn’t really change my opinion on (the event).”
Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor said “most people had a fabulous time” at the fireworks.
The future of the event, which costs about $100,000, will now be discussed at the council’s first meeting of the year on January 28.
Cr Hyde said his idea of switching to a light show would come down to costs.
Meanwhile, 10 New Year’s Eve firework events across Sydney were cancelled due to worsening fire conditions.
Sydney Harbour’s main fireworks display, which pumps $130 million into the NSW economy, went ahead.
