More bang for their buck: Fremantle businesses ignore fireworks veto

Business owners have reinstated Australia Day fireworks in the West Australian port city of Fremantle.

Revellers in Fremantle yesterday. Picture: Colin Murty

Business owners have reinstated Australia Day fireworks in the West Australian port city of Fremantle, where the local council caused a furore by attempting to move all the usual public holiday events to January 28.

Fremantle council announced last August that it would cancel its annual Australia Day fireworks, preferring instead to host a free music festival tomorrow, “a culturally inclusive alternative event” called One Day.

The Greens-led council made the decision out of respect for some indigenous people who identify January 26, marking the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet at Port Jackson, as “Invasion Day”.

But fireworks were still due to go off above the port’s famous fishing boat harbour at 8pm yesterday after local businesses chipped in $60,000 to pay for a scaled-back display lasting 15 minutes rather than the usual 30.

That money will also pay for attract­ions such as bouncy castles and water slides that business owners hope will draw families to Fremantle.

National Hotel publican Karl Bullers, the chairman of the Fremantle business collective that joined with fishing boat harbour operators to pay for the fireworks, said the council’s decision to pull out “came out of left field”.

“It’s a national public holiday and you almost feel guilty for celebrating it,” he said.

“But I am trying to stay out of the politics of it because for us it is about bringing people into Fremantle­, encouraging them to enjoy the city and its restaurants.

“These are family businesses and Australia Day is one of the busiest days of the year for us.”

The council abandoned its plan to shift its Australia Day citizenship ceremony to the One Day event tomorrow. Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettit presided over a low-key ceremony yesterday for 34 new Australians inside the council building, after Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke threatened to strip the council of all power to hold the ­ceremonies.

Mr Pettit conceded yesterday there should have been more consultation about the decision to cancel Australia Day events in Fremantle.

“I would have personally liked to have a few more conversations with the business community and others to get them to understand what the benefits were to them and making sure that they came along on the journey,” he said.