to have felt sick to my stomach seeing the Sydney fireworks...

[XXJingledNerves]

I wish so much they had cancelled.

I think it's in extremely poor taste, and frankly bloody stupid, to fill the sky with more smoke and sparks when so much of the country is being ravaged by fire. I only hope no other fires have been started as a result of these fireworks - the whole of Australia is a tinder box.

And I'm one of those reviled-on-MN people who actually quite likes fireworks! However in this instance it's incredibly ill advised I feel.

I’m not understanding the reference to Black Tuesday either. Do you mean the 2009 Victorian bushfires (Black Saturday) or something else?

I’ve lived all over Australia and certainly don’t see the fires we’ve been living through in the past few months as a ‘normal part of life’. I’m extremely surprised to hear anyone sees them this way. Very very different to the bushfires of my childhood.

I agree OP. It was utterly tone-deaf.

Some truly dickish comments on this thread as well.

I’m not understanding the reference to Black Tuesday either.

Highest fatality bushfires from 83

Ah no 67 after googling

@BoreOfWhabylon
@theflushedzebra

Just been reading up on him. Something not right there. Don’t know if it’s the evangelicalism or if he’s just very deep in the pockets of the fossil fuel companies. Maybe a bit of both.

And I thought we had it bad with our politicians.

@trixiebelden77 look it up, Tasmanian, very bad, usually the first thing people bring up when trying to gauge how bad a fire season has been. Although I suppose people are starting to use Ash Wednesday more now? At any rate I think for most people who’ve lived there long enough the idea of a bad bushfire is pretty extreme in comparison. These particular fires are abnormal as I’ve said many times but bushfires in themselves are normal and not a reason to cancel every celebration nor are these bushfires that bad in comparison to previous disasters. It’s not something to ignore but the British posters on this thread are really overreacting (like many people who haven’t had a close enough connection to bushfire prone areas to understand). Also not very Australian to get worked up about anything, they take keep calm and carry on more seriously (often to their detriment).

Interesting thing is that we are far more sensitive to tragedies of our nationality or easily visible to us.

If fireworks shouldn't go ahead any time people are going through immense suffering we would never have fireworks.....

I do understand it seems in poor taste - particularly the 'fire' connection....But I can also see that it might bring some distraction/ comfort for some - particularly children. It is very different, but my daughter's father has very advanced cancer right now. He was too sick to join us at a celebration show for her birthday, but we went ahead and celebrated.... because tragedy should not make joy or celebration immoral.... the juxtaposition is painful, but the latter can bring some comfort to the former.....

If fireworks shouldn't go ahead any time people are going through immense suffering we would never have fireworks

Which would be preferable given their impact.

Australian here too.
I honestly don't know how I feel about the fireworks. Not much to contribute but at least I am honest.

It’s not something to ignore but the British posters on this thread are really overreacting (like many people who haven’t had a close enough connection to bushfire prone areas to understand)

I can only speak for myself...we've lived in Australia, many of my family members have lived there for decades. We experienced a bush fire years ago at close quarters.

I still think the fireworks was a tone-deaf move.

Having lived on the edge of one of the gorges in Blue Mountains and then near an urbanized area smack up against a national park, it makes you VERY aware of how many people ignore the RFB advice

Yup. I used to travel to work on a trainline that ran alongside a national ark. Over the years I watched the suburban sprawl. And then there was a year of appalling fires in that area. THe bottlebrush and waratahs need fire for germination, but the suburban bungalow next to the bush is in danger. And the requirements of suburban quarter-acre blocks doesn't help - electricity lines and cars can be firestarters in the right (ie wrong) circumstances.

Where I grew up was pretty much untouched bush but is now millionaire-land suburban "acreage." Not an area affected by this year's fires, but one that is potentially in danger, because of suburban lifestyles not really being very good for the AUstralian ecology.

People are dying and homes are burning (or being destroyed in some other way) somewhere every day of the year (or near enough). Life goes on for everyone else.

I can see that it might seem in poor taste to some, but cancelling the fireworks wouldn't have made any practical difference. There are many people who've been looking forward to the display. For some, it will be their last chance to ring in a new year with friends and family. For others, it's "just" a chance to be distracted and happy for a few minutes, but maybe one that they've been looking forward to for a while and will remember all their lives.

Helping people recover and rebuild is the important thing, as soon as it's possible to do so.

Felt sad they went ahead,watching the News about the fires is heartbreaking.

Trixiebeldon

You are right. It has been a particularly bad and very wide spread season. And early. Perhaps the reference was to the Ash Wednesday fires (incidentally which hit some of the same areas hit now). I do not think anyone is downplaying the seriousness of these fires. I also think that this is going to get worse in the future. However, cancelling the fireworks in Sydney and the fundraising opportunity it presented would probably not the answer. Do you also believe other events should also be cancelled too? Such as Cricket, tennis, Sydney to Hobart? Were these (and are the ones coming up) tone deaf too?

Bit of a rock and a hard place situation for me.

It would have all been organised months and months ago (including things like staffing, policing, clean up operations etc) so in that respect what is the point of cancelling?

However letting off a fuck tonne of fireworks whilst some places are being burnt to the ground is just in poor taste.

Not sure what the answer was really.

There is more than one poster on this thread saying that they really can't see the connection between fireworks and bush-fires.

Is it really possible that people are unable to connect the two?

Bugger the lost money!

This is very much a "Nero fiddles while Rome burns" sort of scenario.

Lives have been lost, wildlife and domestic animals have been burned to death, homes and businesses are totally destroyed - meanwhile the politicians and selected bigwigs are partying at the city's expense - it is appalling.

Ok - so the money would have been lost - so what? To have cancelled would have shown solidarity and consideration for those who are even now fighting for their homes or even their lives.

"There is more than one poster on this thread saying that they really can't see the connection between fireworks and bush-fires.

Is it really possible that people are unable to connect the two?"

What is the connection?

If you've actually been in SYdney for the NYE fireworks (which tey used to do at 9pm so we could all get home - don't know if that's still the case) - anyway, if you've ever been there, you'll know what a huge event this is, and how many people enjoy it.

Yes, the bushfires are severe and the country is dry. But stopping the huge celebration (it really is massive & not just the fireworks display) - what good would that do? Really?

Is it really possible that people are unable to connect the two?

Oh there is a connection alright.

Which one are you talking about?

I actually don't know how I feel about the fireworks but if you know the Australian persona and history then I would imagine there is an element of Australian Spirit about it- for example, "not letting it get us down" and "standing in the face of adversity" about it.
I'm not saying that has been a wise decision but as a 7th generation Australian, I get it.

The "Aussie Battler" concept.

Do you live in a bushfire prone area in Australia BlackCat?

No, but I do live in an area which suffers badly from natural disasters. In fact we suffered a really, awful disaster a few years ago which people are still suffering the effects of. I don't think I could ever just shrug and say it's no big deal. Currently, over 5 million hectares have been lost and they are still burning. Over 1,100 homes lost and they are still burning. 12-17 people dead, thousands more trapped. The skies are red, the air is full of smoke. Many, many Australians have said that they have never experienced things this bad before. It's devastating. If you are really in the thick of things and saying it's no big deal, then I'm surprised.