COVID cancels Geraldton’s Australia Day fireworks

Geraldton’s Australia Day fireworks will be cancelled because of COVID-19 restrictions. The City of Greater Geraldton usually runs a fireworks display on January 26, funded by corporate sponsorship. However, late last week Mayor Shane Van Styn said it was “most unlikely” they would happen this year due to the COVID-19 risk. He said there was no way the City could safely run a fireworks show, with gatherings of more than 500 people banned. The mayor warned people to expect scaled-back Australia Day festivities this year. “We will be taking advice from the chief medical officer,” he said. City chief executive Ross McKim confirmed the Australia Day fireworks would not be going ahead. “We understand people look forward to fireworks every year, but we are not willing to risk public health and safety at this time,” he said. The City will still put on a free event, but with some changes to the events programme. Mr Mckim said that as well as cancelling the sky show, guests were required to register before the event and tickets were limited. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the health and safety of our community has always been, and remains, our number one priority." he said. Mr Van Styn, who famously opposed a ban on board shorts, thongs and singlets at Australia Day citizenship ceremonies in 2019, was also asked about a growing chorus of complaints on social media from people disappointed Geraldton did not have any fireworks on New Year’s Eve. New Year’s Eve revellers in Bunbury, Rottnest, Esperance, Perth, Karratha and Albany welcomed 2021 with fireworks shows — but not those in Geraldton. Mr Van Styn said the council had chosen not to run fireworks on New Year’s Eve because of COVID-19 social-distancing rules, the fire risk, and because “Blowing things up in the sky is not a good use of ratepayers’ money”. On New Year’s Day, people took to social media urging the council to consider a New Year’s Eve light show next time. One person said it should be on the agenda of the next City council meeting. “Hopefully the (City) will see all the posts about fireworks and the disappointment of their ratepayers,” said the resident on Facebook. However, others said they were happy there were no fireworks in town. One woman said a fireworks show would be a “stupid idea” because of the wind and the dry heat. Another added a display would have upset her dog. Geraldton residents will not be the only people to go without Australia Day fireworks, with the City of Perth making the difficult decision to cancel its Australia Day Skyworks show in November after the WA chief health officer Andy Robertson recommended Premier Mark McGowan pull the plug on the event. Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas said: “The advice from the Chief Health Officer is that proceeding with Skyworks in 2021 presents too great a risk to community safety. We have said all along public safety and wellbeing must come first”.