Should they rethink - Fireworks Displays

[Allan_L (Allan)]

SYDNEY will usher in 2009 with a $5 million pyrotechnics display
using almost twice as much fireworks as last year.
More than five tonnes of fireworks will explode over Sydney Harbour, in what event organisers have dubbed the Midnight Creation Storm.

I think it is a lot of money for not much benefit and it could be better spent elsewhere.
(Especially considering the side effects.)
What do you think ?

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

I would rather watch the natural fireworks (meteors) than site in a hell-a-va crowded riverside with a load of drunks fighting it out in the heat.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

I believe that it is considered to be one of the best, if not best, firework displays world-wide. We're known for it. We're envied. It adds to our tourism potential. What can be wrong with that?

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

That's a shameful waste of money.
In the time it takes for that display to be shown, many hundreds of children will die because they don't have access to clean drinking water in their village.
How about donating even half that amount to the Fred Hollows Foundation, restore the sight of thousands of people so they can see fireworks as well.

[dpastern (Dave Pastern)]

Waste of pubic money. Air pollution. Light pollution. Risks involved (admittedly low). There's no need for it. Ban it.

Dave

edit: how can we justify spending millions and millions on Fireworks and not helping out homeless, people suffering from mental illnesses, our ailing medical system(s), our ailing educational system(s), our ailing ambulance service(s)...shall I go on?

[wasyoungonce (Brendan)]

yep..give them bread & circus's & they will love you!

Nothing has changed since Roman times!

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by dpastern

Waste of pubic money. Air pollution. Light pollution. Risks involved (admittedly low). There's no need for it. Ban it.

Dave

edit: how can we justify spending millions and millions on Fireworks and not helping out homeless, people suffering from mental illnesses, our ailing medical system(s), our ailing educational system(s), our ailing ambulance service(s)...shall I go on?

Oh please.... Five million redirected is sure to fix all of these ills... and really ensure that we dampen the spirits of Sydneysiders and thousands of visitors from all over the world at New Year. Good one.

Five million will more than likely be spent at local harbourside restaurants by those coming in to town to see the display. Good for business I would have thought. Keeps people in employment, no?

These are incumbent governments' management deficiencies - not monetary.

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

I love fireworks, but the Mega-Displays tend to leave me a bit "ho-hum".
Much rather see a good local display - more intimate, noisier, smellier.
I used to love London's various displays. Most were private ( you can buy & light your own fireworks without a police permit), and most had varying ideas of what was 'midnight'. We used to sit atop Richmond hill and see who was off by the most.
One year it was the Jaggers, who didn't get going until 00:13, one year it was someone in Twickenham who figured 00:28 was close enough.
But mostly it was just fun!

[TrevorW]

No they banned Guy Fox night so they can all be banned IMO

if I can;t blow something up or launch a rocket why should they

[Rainingstar (Lorraine)]

Originally Posted by TrevorW

No they banned Guy Fox night so they can all be banned IMO

if I can;t blow something up or launch a rocket why should they

I'm in complete agreement,and it's a massive waste of money that could be better spent on many worthwhile projects, besides it was a lot more fun when we were kids and were allowed to have our own fireworks for Guy Fawkes night, it's boring watching someone else do it.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Interesting that not one of you are from Sydney

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

I voted to make them even bigger and better!

Last year one of the last things we did before we left Australia was to make the trek down to the fireworks in Sydney...it was incredible and something that will stay with me always...

I can't wait to see them again someday.

[PCH (Paul)]

Originally Posted by TrevorW

No they banned Guy Fox night so they can all be banned IMO

if I can;t blow something up or launch a rocket why should they

Guy WHO !!! Showing yer knowledge of history there Trevor.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

I do like a good fireworks display. The ooohs and aaahs from the crowd. The crying and screaming from the littlies. LOL And most of all the smell. Love the smell.
But for my reasons stated above, I voted to reduce them.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

Originally Posted by PCH

Guy WHO !!! Showing yer knowledge of history there Trevor.

Ah yes... that would be a Fox, a faux Fawkes.

[renormalised (Carl)]

I'm all for the fireworks...apart from the tourist side of things, they're a tradition dating back many years, the kids love them (they do have a magic about them) and they're fun.

All this talk about it being pollution and a waste of money, better spent elsewhere on the homeless, poor, etc etc, is just nonsense talk. It wouldn't matter how much the display cost, it wouldn't even put a dent in any of those problems. Look at all the money they've spent over the years "combating" these problems worldwide...what's it really done. Nothing. Chris hit the nail on the head by saying it's government and non government management deficiencies, corruption and greedy self interest which have exacerbated these problems, not a lack of money.

Then, speaking of pollution, instead of putting blame on the fireworks display (a one-off), why not give up using your cars entirely and take public transport. Or, if you don't have public transport where you live, lobby the government to have it put into place. Make sure, then, that you get a system that's comprehensive and works well. Yes, you may have to pay for it, but at least it won't be contributing as much CO2 to global warming as you are now.

In so far as the hooligan element being there, that's a societal problem that needs to be addressed right from the time these people are little kids. You reap what you sow, as they say. In that sense, we need to look carefully at how we act as a society as a whole, as well as a family unit. Frankly, it needs changing, and bemoaning our present stupidity isn't going to solve the problem.

Worrying about the cost or environmental impact of a one off, yearly fireworks display isn't going to solve any of the other problems that have cropped up in this thread and canceling the display won't solve them either. We have more pressing problems to worry about than this and we should focus on these rather than canceling an event which is much loved by many thousands of people. Let the people have their fun and the city its tourist attraction.

[Octane (Humayun)]

In complete agreement with Chris, here, you guys complaining about Sydney's fireworks don't even live there.

Some of my fondest end-of-year memories have entailed joining my best friends, early on in the afternoon and securing a spot on Bennelong Point (Sydney Opera House foreshore) and having a wonderful time catching up, recounting the year, and waiting in anticipation of the awesome displays at both 9 PM and at midnight. The other simple pleasure has been sailing on the harbour on a time-shared catamaran on New Year's Eve. The atmosphere is incredible.

There are louts and drunks in a lot of the other areas, but, the foreshore is blocked off and you are screened for carrying alcohol -- the security guards will even make you open your bottles of Coke and sniff for alcohol. It is a family area.

For those of you complaining about money not being channeled through to worthy causes, write to your local minister. But, then, you will complain that politicians are useless.. The fireworks are taxpayer funded. And, to be perfectly honest, I am quite happy that a few cents out of my tax goes towards a fun evening. Waa waa boo hoo light pollution smoke pollution waa waa boo hoo. Get over it. It's for one night a year and has absolutely no impact on a global scale whatsoever.

Regards,
Humayun

[Ric]

I've no problem with the commercial displays.

It's the backyard bonfires that cause a problem with ash and embers flying around both suburban and rural.

This year we had a call out to the end of my street, the neighbours lit a bonfire and had their crackers going in a gale force wind.

Needless to say it took out 5 acres before we stopped it. All the neighbours could say as I was talking to them was "I didn't know you was in the RFS"

[renormalised (Carl)]

Well, Ric, all I can say about those people is that they must be morons. Who in their right mind would light a bonfire in a gale force wind??!!. That's asking for trouble. It just goes to show you how completely stupid people can be. My father was the chief firewarden for the Sutherland District RFS in the 60's and if he had found anyone doing something as completely stupid as that, he would've had their guts for garters.

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

I love the smell of Cordite at Midnight.....it smells like.......well...Cordite.