Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks go ahead as country burns and popular nearby shows are axed
After days of debate, Sydney’s fireworks display went off with a bang last night - but politicians who supported it have been slammed.
Sydney’s Lord Mayor was last night labelled “crackers” for defending the city going ahead with its world famous fireworks despite the state suffering through one of its worst-ever days of bushfire destruction.
Three people died on Tuesday, four remain missing, thousands were evacuated or forced to breathe in smoke, scores of homes were destroyed and buildings on the historic main street of Cobargo were razed to the ground.
Yet, Sydney’s skies were ablaze with explosives.
We didn’t make the decision to continue tonight’s #SydNYE lightly, but I’m proud that we’re leveraging the event’s reach – at the Harbour and on the ABC broadcast – to raise funds for the bushfire appeal and the important work of @RedCrossAU. https://t.co/E6lxKZWK72
— Clover Moore (@CloverMoore) December 31, 2019
Happy New Year. May 2020 bring healing and hope to all.
— Gladys Berejiklian (@GladysB) December 31, 2019
The City of Sydney Council came under heavy criticism for persevering with its fireworks display while shows elsewhere, including as little as 25km away, were cancelled.
The Rural Fire Service gave the display the green light on Monday. Its location means the fireworks occur over water rather than parched land.
On Tuesday, Lord Mayor Clover Moore defended going ahead with the massive pageant and said climate change was the real issue.
Ms Moore said the cash for the event has already been allocated and it would generate $130 million for the NSW economy.
The council has donated $620,000 to bushfire and drought-affected communities and revellers will be encouraged to donate more.
“The compelling issue here is climate change,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
“People have lost homes, people have died, firefighters have been killed defending communities. As the driest continent on earth we’re at the forefront of accelerating global warming.
“What is happening is a wake up call for our governments to start making effective contributions to reducing global emissions.”
However, Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese said it was “problematic” the foreshore firework display was proceeding.
“I understand how important the fireworks are for our economy, but I just think at a time like this, I think that it’s really problematic that it’s going ahead,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Brisbane.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian admitted to “mixed feelings” about the fireworks display in Sydney amid elevated bushfire risk and the death of a volunteer firefighter near the NSW-Victoria border.
However, Ms Berejiklian gave the event her backing.
The Mayor was criticised online. Channel 10 weather presenter Tim Bailey said: “Clover Moore is absolutely crackers. We will never forget this moment of insanity. Never forgive it.”
Clover Moore is absolutely crackers. We will never forget this moment of insanity. Never forgive it. #Fireworks
— Tim Bailey (@dailybailey10) December 31, 2019
This is the wrong decision. This does not unite a nation. We will not soon forget that Sydney had a party while the rest of us burnt. Tone deaf and out of touch with the rest of Australia. #AustralianFires #SydNYE pic.twitter.com/hnX4Ufo3HD
— Karen Slabbert (@NoteKaren) December 31, 2019
You know what brings people together? Evacuation Centres 😢🔥
— Danny Waterson (@dannywaterson) December 31, 2019
Yes Scott Morrison the whole world will be watching Sydney on NYE - with horror and disgust. Have you read the damning London FT editorial last week? International news coverage is on the unprecedentedbushfire crisis not the fireworks. No wonder you were such a bad tourism chief.
— Janine Perrett (@PerrettReport) December 31, 2019
The Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore , @GladysB and @ScottMorrisonMP all think the fireworks will be good international publicity for Sydney ...the reverse will be the case with a celebration of fire whist our nation burns and climate policy ignored..it will present us as fools.
— Tony Windsor (@TonyHWindsor) December 31, 2019
This is the beach at Batemans Bay to which residents and tourists have been evacuated. My son, daughter in law and two grandkids are sitting down there, waiting to see if the town burns. What's @GladysB and @CloverMoore doing? They're throwing a party for the latte sipping set! pic.twitter.com/OSs1Ssffk3
— 🻠FaulcoBear ðŸ´ó §ó ¢ó ³ó £ó ´ó ¿ðŸ‡®ðŸ‡ªðŸ‡¦ðŸ‡º (@FaulcoBear) December 30, 2019
Hard to see the fireworks from here.... pic.twitter.com/64DSx180BM
— 💧Mister Blister🇦🇺🎮 (@SageAU) December 31, 2019
Sunrise host Samantha Armytage weighed after she was evacuated to Narooma on the NSW far South Coast on Tuesday afternoon.
She described the show as “inappropriate” and vowed she’d “go after” the council for going ahead with their fireworks display.
Prominent former MP Tony Windsor said the display was set to make Sydney look like “fools”.
“The Mayor of Sydney and Scott Morrison think the fireworks will be good international publicity,” he said in a tweet.
“The reverse will be the case with a celebration of fire whist our nation burns and climate policy ignored. it will present us as fools.”
Up to one million people flocked to Sydney Harbour to watch the display but in the hours before were warned of strong and damaging winds as a cold front rolled up the NSW coast.
Urgent update for #NewYears revellers Strong #winds are making their way up the #NSW coast & are reaching #Sydney area. Winds are part of the forecast southerly change sweeping the coast & people on or around the harbour should take care https://t.co/LgWZw03awp @nswpolice #SydNYE pic.twitter.com/8egOucioHM
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) December 31, 2019
In the afternoon, revellers heading to the Sydney fireworks were given a bizarre warning to delay their journeys into the CBD as bushfire smoke created hazardous conditions.
The City of Sydney issued a warning to those attending the fireworks that bushfire smoke caused the air quality to plummet to poor in Sydney, and anyone with a breathing condition should try and “delay coming into the city early”.
Countless New Year’s Eve fireworks displays were axed, including some less than an hour away from the world-renowned spectacle on Sydney Harbour.
Displays – including in Parramatta, 25 kilometres to the city’s west – didn’t get the green light.
The air quality reading is currently poor. If you're sensitive to smoke or have a pre-existing condition that could be made worse, please delay coming into the City early. Find live updates on vantage points at https://t.co/lvGOon4IPW #SydNYE
— City of Sydney (@cityofsydney) December 31, 2019
On Tuesday afternoon, Parramatta Council declared its popular family show had been scrapped.
“Council was not granted an exemption to proceed with its fireworks display due to the total fire ban in place and a range of associated risks including: extreme temperatures; smoke, dust and poor air quality; extremely dry conditions at Parramatta Park; and limited resources to manage potential fires locally due to fires across the state,” Lord Mayor Bob Dwyer said.
“In addition, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast high winds with a southerly change on New Year’s Eve, which pose too big a risk to the health and safety of our community.”
He said the decision was not made lightly but in consultation with the RFS, the BOM and other state government agencies.
Wollongong, south of Sydney, axed its display just 24 hours before it was due to kick off.
“The total fire ban has been upgraded to include fireworks, and the southerly which is due to hit at around 8pm has also been upgraded,” acting Lord Mayor Tania Brown said.
She acknowledged people “rely on this night” as an “economic generator” for the region.
The fireworks in nearby Kiama went ahead.
The fireworks in Campbelltown, in southwest Sydney, were also on the chopping block.
“In light of the current extreme bushfire conditions and the fires that continue to sadly burn across our region, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the fireworks at our New Year’s Eve event in Koshigaya Park,” the council said on its website.
Closer to the city, Liverpool council also cancelled its fireworks shows at 9pm and midnight.
“Weather conditions are not favourable and this is the most appropriate course of action,” Mayor Wendy Waller said in a statement, noting that they will be collecting RFS donations.
WHERE WERE FIREWORKS CANCELLED?
• Parramatta Park
• Campbelltown
• Liverpool
• Wollongong
• Rowland Reserve, Bayview on Sydney’s Northern Beaches
• Maitland, also cancelled last year due to thunderstorms
• Huskisson
• Armidale (postponed)
• Manilla, northwest of Tamworth
• Canberra
On the Northern Beaches, the Manly Cove fireworks went ahead but Dee Why and Bayview were cancelled due to dangerous conditions.
The Balls Head Reserve vantage point in Waverton on Sydney’s Lower North Shore was closed due to elevated fire risks, as was North Head at Manly and Bradleys Head at Mosman.
The City of Newcastle went ahead with its firework display as planned.
A number of displays further north were called off, including Ipswich in Queensland and a show at the Twin Towns resort at Coolangatta and Tweed Heads on the NSW border.
Sydney New Year’s Eve celebration organisers had dismissed suggestions that cancelling the pyrotechnic display would be beneficial to people affected by the ongoing bushfires crisis.
“We know that cancelling the fireworks will have zero practical benefit for those fire-ravaged communities,” Tanya Goldberg, the Sydney NYE head of audience told Today on Monday.
“The one thing that will help those communities is to go ahead with the event and leverage the power of it to drive people to donate, to demonstrate their generosity by going to the Australian Red Cross disaster relief and recovery fund.”
“They can go to nye.Sydney/donate and we will be promoting that in the lead up, and that I can do.”
RELATED: ‘Inappropriate and insensitive’ – why it’s time to cancel Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks
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