Mooloolaba New Year’s Eve fireworks may not return unless funding needs met

After axing fireworks at a popular Sunshine Coast tourist beach, council officers have made an extraordinary recommendation for the upcoming event. TAKE THE POLL.

If the Sunshine Coast wants midnight fireworks in Mooloolaba, funding to the tune of $130k will have to come from outside the region’s council. Photo: Elizabeth Neil

If the Sunshine Coast wants midnight fireworks in Mooloolaba, funding to the tune of $130k will have to come from outside the region’s council.

This is the recommendation of Sunshine Coast Council officers in the lead-up to the May 21 ordinary meeting.

The council last year controversially cancelled the New Year’s midnight fireworks.

In the meeting agenda, officers have urged councillors to endorse a $1.195m festive season program funding request as part of the 2025-26 budget, but have noted more than $130,000 in “external revenue” would need to be found for the Mooloolaba midnight fireworks to proceed.

“The sources of this revenue would include things such as sponsorship and this will need to be confirmed by June 30 2025 to allow the event to be appropriately planned,” they said.

Fireworks light up the night sky over Mooloolaba as thousands turned out to watch and bring in the New Year. Photo: Elizabeth Neil

The 2024-2025 festival budget is $1,013,132, which equated to $2.76 per capita, according to the documents.

The proposed 2025-26 budget equates to $3.26 per capita.

Under the proposed budget, Christmas events would return to Nambour, Coolum Beach and Caloundra and there would be “appropriate support” for New Year’s Eve events in Coolum Beach and Caloundra.

The council agenda stated five surveys were conducted regarding the festive program with a total of 644 respondents, which “informed” the recommendations of the report.

In the agenda, council attendance data from the 2024 Mooloolaba New Year’s Eve event revealed a decrease of more than 6300 attendees, which council attributed to the reduced event format of no midnight fireworks.

In past years, council said their data showed 70 per cent of the crowd left after the 8.30pm fireworks.

Council officers also stated “compromised access” would be an issue due to the Mooloolaba foreshore construction impacts so alternative “safe” solutions were needed.

“An example of this would be exploring the option of a barge to present the fireworks display/s and promote viewing areas from Alexandra Headland to Point Cartwright, as well as limited on ground activity,” the documents stated.

Council acknowledged in the agenda the media storm that surrounded the decision last year and that the community had “differing views on the content on the festive season program”.

“There is likely to be negative commentary on any decision made by council,” the agenda stated.