Sydney NYE fireworks approved despite ‘severe’ danger

Samantha Maiden
Dec 30, 2019, updated Dec 30, 2019

Sydney's traditional New Year's Eve fireworks will still go ahead. Photo: AAP

Sydney’s New Years Eve fireworks will go ahead despite “severe” fire danger, a heatwave and a total fire ban in Greater Sydney after the Rural Fire Service granted the council a special exemption.

But the nation’s capital, Canberra, has cancelled planned fireworks as has a number of Sydney council areas denied an exemption by the RFS including Parramatta, Campbelltown and Wollongong.

Despite the intervention of Deputy Premier John Barilaro who warned Sydney’s fireworks spectacular was “too risky” the RFS granted the exemption.

The Sydney Harbour fireworks have been approved to proceed tomorrow.

The NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW are assessing a number of other Total Fire Ban exemptions.#nswrfs #nswfires #frnsw pic.twitter.com/C3QtJtF5K8

— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) December 30, 2019

“Sydney’s New Years Eve Fireworks should just be canceled, very easy decision,’’ Mr Barilaro tweeted from London.

“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.”

https://twitter.com/JohnBarilaroMP/status/1211408617733115905?s=20

Last week, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian backed the City of Sydney decision to go ahead with the fireworks display if authorities deemed it was safe to do so.

The event generates around $130 million for the state’s economy and is broadcast around the globe.

“Sydney is one of the first cities in the world welcoming in the New Year. If it is safe to do so, we should continue to do it as we have done every other year,” Ms Berejiklian said.

Related: Victoria ravaged by bushfires on catastrophic day

On Sunday, the ACT government confirmed it would not got ahead with planned fireworks in Canberra, which has been choked with smoke for weeks from the bushfires on the south coast.

“It is a sensible decision for us not to proceed with the fireworks in the ACT,” ACT Emergency Services Agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan said.