Australia bush fires: Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks to go ahead despite petition to cancel them
- Change.org petition argues money would be better spent on supporting volunteer firefighters and farmers
- Comes after Hong Kong’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display was cancelled for the first time in its 10-year history
A petition to cancel Sydney’s famous New Year’s Eve fireworks and use the money to fight bush fires ringing the city has topped 260,000 signatures, but officials say the show will go on.
Sydney is spending A$6.5 million (US$4.5 million) on this year’s fireworks display – funds that the Change.org petition argues would be better spent on supporting volunteer firefighters and farmers suffering through a brutal drought.
The massive fireworks display on Sydney Harbour “may traumatise some people”, the petition says, “as there is enough smoke in the air”.
Toxic smoke haze from bush fires raging across Australia has blanketed Sydney and other major cities for weeks.
Entire towns have been left in ruins by devastating blazes in worst-hit New South Wales (NSW) state, where eight people have died and an area the size of Belgium burnt to cinders.