Nillumbik Council move to restrict private fireworks displays
Small communities in Melbourne’s far northeast were outraged by a private fireworks display on farmland during bushfire season — and now the local council is enforcing tougher laws.
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Nillumbik Council is introducing a new local law to give it the power to stop fireworks on private properties before the next fire danger period.
It comes after fierce backlash from the St Andrews community when a rural landowner hosted a private pyrotechnics show in January — three weeks before the anniversary of Black Saturday.
Local law legislation meant the council did not have permission to approve or reject fireworks on private land at the Lake View Rd property, with CFA District 14 the responsible authority.
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An online petition demanding the council be given the responsibility to issue the permits has attracted more than 1200 signatures.
The council will now move to introduce a local law to give it the discretion to stop fireworks on private properties outside the urban growth boundary.
This decision follows council and community concern about the impact fireworks on rural properties can have on pets, livestock and wildlife — as well as posing a fire risk.
At a council meeting on Monday Cr Peter Perkins said private fireworks displays posed fire risks and sparked confusion for wildlife.
“The impacts those fireworks displays have on horses and cattle and other animals, there is probably no dispute about,” he said.
“I happened to be looking after a friend’s house in St Andrews just across the road this year when the last private fireworks display happened and I could see for myself the affect it had on horses on that property that I was looking after.”
Cr Jane Ashton said private fireworks displays also caused “mental anguish” for people who had lived through bushfires, particularly Black Saturday.
“With each year that passed we (the council) were seemed to be unable to ban fireworks and to have any say in protecting the community from both the mental anguish and also the fact that this year was the 10th anniversary of Black Saturday,” she said.
“This is definitely a step forward for the community.”
Mayor Karen Egan said while the council needed to move urgently to create the new local law, community festivals would not be impacted by the proposed fireworks restrictions.
“We won’t be the fun police when it comes to requests for fireworks at community festivals in urban areas, like the Diamond Creek Rotary Town Fair,” she said.
“Hopefully it (the local law) will be in place before next summer.”
St Andrews’ Sharon Murdoch said the move was a positive step for the community.
“We have been dealing with this issue for the past three years and hope we won’t have to worry again when next summer comes around,” she said.
“Private fireworks displays mean the neighbours have to move their animals, wildlife become confused and suffer serious injuries when they run through fences.
“It also rehashes terrible memories of Black Saturday — it creates so much angst in the community.”
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