Where you can see New Year’s Eve fireworks
Major regional centres have cancelled their displays, while Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide will forge ahead.
As bushfires and extreme temperatures are hampering New Year’s Eve celebrations in some parts of the country and others have managed to secure their displays, Opposition leader Anthony Albanese says the events are “problematic’’.
“I understand how important the fireworks are for our economy, but I just think at a time like this it’s really problematic that it’s going ahead. I don’t think it’s the time.”
Mr. Albanese said the bushfires required a national response from the federal government that uses every resource, including a greater presence of the Australian Defence Force.
New Year’s Eve fireworks will go ahead in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne while fireworks in Parramatta, Canberra and Wollongong have been cancelled.
The New Year’s Eve Sydney Harbour fireworks will go ahead despite calls for it to be cancelled amid a total fire ban across the Greater Sydney region.
The NSW Rural Fire Service granted Sydney’s fireworks display a last minute go-ahead and an exemption from the total fire ban on Monday evening.
Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the display will act as a sign of hope, adding it is an inclusive celebration.
"Sydney's New Year's Eve brings together everyone because it is an event for everyone no matter where you are from, how old you are or how well off you are," she told reporters at a press conference.
Sydney Opera House Vantage Point is now FULL. Please check the Vantage Point Map for other options #SydNYE https://t.co/3Pj7BtJF3o
— City of Sydney (@cityofsydney) December 31, 2019
Ms Moore also urged the federal government to act on the “climate emergency”, describing the bushfires as a wake-up call.
"We know that we have never seen anything like this before. We have been told for a decade now by scientists that this is what will happen. We are at the forefront because we are the driest continent on earth and that's the issue for our federal government."
The state's Deputy Premier John Barilaro on Monday backed calls for the fireworks to be axed, despite Premier Gladys Berejiklian supporting plans for the event to go on.
Sydney’s New Years Eve Fireworks should just be canceled, very easy decision. The risk is too high and we must respect our exhausted RFS volunteers. If regional areas have had fireworks banned, then let’s not have two classes of citizens. We’re all in this crisis together.
— John Barilaro MP (@JohnBarilaroMP) December 29, 2019
Ms Moore said Mr Barilaro should support the state government's recent announcement to tackle global warming.
Unlike the Harbour Bridge fireworks, Parramatta Park did not receive an exemption from the total fire ban.
"The safety of our community and general public is important to us and it was decided that the event could not proceed without compromising this safety," the City of Parramatta said on Facebook on Monday afternoon.
Temperatures around the state are expected to peak on Tuesday, with forecasts of more than 40C across western Sydney and in regional NSW.
Sydney’s New Year’s Eve in the Park has confirmed that it will cancel their fireworks tonight.
In a post on Facebook the festival organisers for the event at Victoria Park pledged to donate money to the NSW RFS to “support their continued efforts to keep us all safe”.
Fire danger ratings for Sydney, Newcastle and the state's south range from severe to extreme.
The annual firework display was cancelled in Canberra as well after the total fire ban was announced on Monday afternoon.
The final decision was signed off by the acting chief minister Yvette Berry after consulting with the state’s emergency services agency and event organisers.
A spokesperson for the chief minister’s office said a final decision on whether to cancel performances to be held in Civic square due to smoke and dust would be made between 12.00 and 2.00pm.
“We expect people will still come to the city and that restaurants, cars and clubs will be busy.”
Similarly, Wollongong City Council decided to cancel their fireworks even though they received an exemption from the total fire ban.
Acting Lord Mayor of Wollongong Tania Brown said they made the decision to cancel after gusty southerly winds of up to 50km/h were forecast.
“We don’t take these things lightly,” Ms Brown said.
Ms Brown hopes that people will still congregate at the Wollongong harbour to enjoy live music, stalls and rides.
Adelaide City council confirmed on Boxing Day that its New Year’s Eve fireworks would go ahead.
The event will be held in Elder Park along the Riverbank despite calls for it to be cancelled amid concerns about bushfires.
The council encouraged people to donate to the St Vincent de Paul Society’s bushfire appeal to help those who lost their homes in the Adelaide Hills before Christmas.
In Brisbane, 100,000 people are expected to visit the Brisbane River where two firework shows will go ahead.
A highlight of the show will be a pyrotechnic rainbow created by fireworks angled from nine firework-laden barges on the river.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jess Gardner is predicting good fireworks-watching weather for the city's celebrations.
"Brisbane will be clear with temperatures in the low 30s," she said.
Crowds of about 40,000 usually attend the Esplanade at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks.
The temperature is set to hit a maximum of 28C with a high fire danger rating.
Melbourne’s city centre is set to see 400,000 revellers visit the city as their fireworks display was given the all-clear.
The fireworks had been at risk of being cancelled, but the temperature is expected to drop to a maximum of 21C.
The temperature change is what helped push the pyrotechnic show over the line.
Victoria had more than 30 blazes burning across the state on Monday, with more than 20 in the East Gippsland region.
New Year’s Eve fireworks in Perth will go ahead at the Cultural Centre, with a maximum temperature of 30C today and a high fire danger rating.
With AAP
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