St Andrews: Private fireworks approved despite risks of bushfires

A rural community preparing to mark 10 years since Black Saturday is furious the CFA has approved a fireworks display for a private party.

Sharon Murdoch, Jan Saunders and Mel Ellis want the CFA to ban permits for private firework displays. Picture: Rob Leeson

A rural community preparing to mark 10 years since Black Saturday is furious the CFA has approved a fireworks display for a private party.

CFA District 14 issued the permit to a property on Lake View Rd for a pyrotechnics display on Saturday, January 19 — three weeks before the anniversary of Black Saturday on February 7.

Friends of Nillumbik president and former councillor Greg Johnson slammed the move.

“I am a bit surprised the CFA would approve something like that,” he said.

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“As a former Nillumbik councillor from 2002 to 08 we had several incidents of horses panicking when there were fireworks in the area — they were rushing into fences and injuring themselves, one horse had to be put down.

“Fireworks in rural areas where domestic animals can react in such a way should not be allowed.”

Cottles Bridge’s Mel Ellis said it was the third consecutive year the permit had been issued,

“Close neighbours have to move their animals, wildlife carers have to try and find injured and abandoned animals the following day and there is the ongoing anxiety of fire risk,” she said.

Sharon Murdoch, Jan Saunders and Mel Ellis want the CFA to stop giving permits for private firework displays. Picture: Rob Leeson

An online petition calling for the CFA to stop giving permits for private firework displays during the peak summer has attracted more than 700 signatures.

Mr Johnson said the fireworks also posed a fire risk, and said approving the pyrotechnics display so close 10-year anniversary of the catastrophic Black Saturday bushfires was not smart.

“Commonsense would suggest that you would need to be cautious with fireworks in this area during summer, especially since our bushlands are some of the most fire prone on the planet,” he said.

Nillumbik Council’s local laws do not give it permission to approve or reject fireworks on private land, but Mayor Karen Egan said the council wants the legislation changed.

“The council is looking at what options are available to change the local law to give the council the authority to ban fireworks in specific areas and times of the year,” she said.

“The council has reviewed all its other powers to ensure it has exhausted any other options for managing the impact of fireworks.

“We are prioritising this review and amendment of our local laws to give us control over private fireworks, but the review needs to comply with state legislation including community consultation, and is a lengthy process.”

Cr Egan said the council had met with the event organiser and spoken about concerns of neighbours, the impact of fireworks on livestock, wildlife, bushfire risk, and air quality — and also on the lead-up to Black Saturday anniversary.

District 14 operations manager David Harris said compliance with the conditions of the permit would remove the risk of unintended fire ignitions in the area surrounding the fireworks display.

Mr Harris said the permit was not valid on a day of total fire ban.

He said the CFA was not the responsible authority for noise complaints.

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