Council will not fund Mooloolaba New Year’s Eve fireworks

The Queensland council that controversially cancelled midnight New Year’s Eve fireworks in Mooloolaba has backed the call for ‘external’ funding for the upcoming event.

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

The Sunshine Coast Council has made a controversial decision regarding the region’s New Year’s Eve fireworks with one councillor slamming the call as “embarrassing”.

The recommendation made by Sunshine Coast Council officers during the council’s May 21 ordinary meeting suggested the council pull funding for the midnight Mooloolaba New Year’s Eve fireworks in 2025.

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

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

Councillor Taylor Bunnag supported the axing of the midnight fireworks funding, stating the cost was too great for ratepayers.

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

“Let’s be very clear in 2025 we are being very open with the community that the cost of midnight fireworks and associated organisational costs to ensure safe night out, which is the most important thing on New Year’s Eve, should be carried alone and nor should it be by ratepayers,” Mr Bunnag said.

Taylor Bunnag agreed with Sunshine Coast Council officers that midnight fireworks should not be funded by the council. Picture: Supplied

Mr Bunnag said the council invited a commercial operation or sponsorship to deliver the event instead.

Councillor Christian Dickson said he supported the fireworks going ahead and “hoped to see it happen” with commercial funding.

Councillor Terry Landsberg spoke against the recommendation, claiming the council had been “hauled over coals” in relation to last year’s decision.

“We just picked up $170,000 in the sale of arrears in properties that just came in from our previous report and to stand here and to talk about $130,000 and really go out for external sponsorship to me is embarrassing,” Mr Landsberg said.

Terry Landsberg said the recommendation was embarrassing after just picking up $170k in the sale of arrears in properties.

Ultimately, the recommendation was passed with Mayor Rosanna Natoli, Mr Bunnag, Mr Dickson, councillor Maria Suarez, councillor Tim Burns, councillor Ted Hungerford, councillor Jenny Broderick and councillor David Law all voting in favour.

Mr Landsberg and councillor Joe Natoli voted against, while councillor Winston Johnston was absent from the ordinary meeting.

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

In the report, 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 report stated.