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

[XXJingledNerves]

I wish so much they had cancelled.

News reports here say that authorities have been telling people to leave for days.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if every Country donated to a rescue fund and cancelled their fireworks display in respect"
What an exquisite example of virtue-signalling dumbfuckery.

Topics like this is where I really appreciate Mumsnet's International reach. It's so helpful to hear directly from Australians: hugely informative about the issues and politics, and unsurprisingly opinion is mixed. I was sceptical given the devastation so many must be feeling, but am glad it was used as a fundraising opportunity.

Sending all best wishes from the UK.

Fireworks were banned over summer near here due to moor fires. The ban remains in place.

Guess what happened? Yup, nothing apart from the risk of moor fires lessened. Everyone managed to use a teensy bit of critical thinking rather than moaning they couldn’t gaze at a few lights 😂

Cons8dering their PM went off to Hawaii on his hols earlier and was actually forced back, I'm not sure those in power have best judgement

On the surface it seems insensitive. However cancelling at this stage would have little financial saving or impact on the emergency situation.

It's not about the money. And the fireworks could have been stored for next year.

It's about showing respect to those who have died and lost their homes. It's about not holding a massive public celebration when a large part of the country is on fire. It's about not polluting the air even further when there are massive fires are causing smog.

@savethecat yes in some areas bit apparently not in Mallacoota

"As massive swathes of the East Gippsland region burned, Mallacoota was one of the few areas where residents and holidaymakers had not been told to evacuate for their own safety. By the time the fire arrived on Monday, it was too late for many of them to leave.

Amid the darkness, there was chaos. A stampede towards the town’s foreshore where thousands stood and huddled and watched the black sky turn red. As traffic banked up, people abandoned their cars and ran towards the water." (from The Guardian website, don't know how to link)

The thing is... they had already paid a huge sum of money for the firework display, so cancelling the event wouldn't have saved any money anyway.

Having had serious fires in my own home town (the town was almost lost) last summer my feeling is that the Sydney fireworks were tone deaf. It doesn't seem right that they went ahead while thousands of lives were at risk else where. It's bad enough that people were celebrating in the midst of a national disaster but the fact that the celebration involved flame is just completely off.

Mine was from channel 7 news so maybe not the best :)

@savethecat.

It is very hard to strike a balance between being those who think cancelling the event would show respect and being conscious of the knock on financial effect though.

www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/the-show-must-go-on-why-sydney-s-nye-fireworks-display-is-too-big-to-fail-20191230-p53noa.html

"If you look at it from a financial point of view it's a no-brainer – the show must go on. However there is the ethical issue of NSW and most of Australia copping these terrible bushfires," Dr Beirman said.

Tourism & Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said "These bushfires have been a global story so I think it's a tremendous opportunity to use the fireworks to generate some financial relief for the bushfires," she said.

Financially, just to the Sydney alone it brings $133 million on the day. This does not include the financial benefit to the regional tourism areas which then need the money to rebuild.

This cannot be treated as a simple ‘cancel it’ event like for instance a local regional fireworks. And I think people who believe it is that cut and dried probably underestimate the amount of family businesses that would be effected (including ones needing funds to rebuild) . It is worth noting other Sydney areas did cancel their fireworks due to fire danger ban.

News reports here say that authorities have been telling people to leave for days

Not true savethecat and sniggering EmmaGrundy

At least 4,000 flee to lake and ocean from town in Victoria that had not been given evacuation warning

Thousands of people fled to the lake and ocean in Mallacoota, as bushfires hit the Gippsland town on Tuesday.
The out-of-control fire reached the town in the morning and about 4,000 people fled to the coastline, with Country Fire Authority members working to protect them. The town had not been told to evacuate on Sunday when the rest of East Gippsland was, and authorities decided it was too dangerous to move them on Monday.

It's crazy and the Australian president went on holiday to Hawaii in December when it was all going on

I agree. Also, fireworks are very bad for the environment - the worst ever levels of air pollution were recorded in India this year after fireworks were let off during Diwali celebration.

@onemorecupofcoffeefortheroad

You are repeating the exact point I made. I have no idea why you are having a go at me when I corrected @savethecat .

See the president going on holiday was much more "fiddling whilst time burns" than preplanned celebrations.

@Prevegen4U

Thank you for the clarification.
Fireworks - maybe the clue is in the name?

what would be achieved by cancelling?

Much lower levels of pollution, and lower carbon emissions?

We have to change our ways. It's insanity to keep on and pretend everything is normal.

Never mind the fireworks; that online clip of the koala begging for more water makes me want to give up on humans completely.

People see the world in flames and they still do noting and deny that they are playing a part in all this. They get in their cars and fly around the world as if nothing is happening. People are a disgrace.

lol @"Australian President"

Flying cars 😮

They should either be silent or banned full stop.

Near where we live on bonfire night a horse got so scared it broke free from the stables, bolted across a field and got impaled on a barbed wire fence.

Saw an 18 yr old buying stacks of them today (he looked about 15, had to show ID), along with crates of beer. It's insane we sell explosives to the public like that.

Watched a documentary over xmas that showed an australian bird that picks up burning sticks and flies off and dumps them in a dry zone to cause a fire which means the animals run out, the bird then proceeds to catch and eat them.

www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/01/wildfires-birds-animals-australia/

Christ, fireworks really are the new bogeymen aren't they. At least they bring people pleasure, unlike the outcome of supplying bloody fibre optic to some of the folks on this thread.