Opinion – The fireworks debate: Still alive but not so heated?

The debate on whether the government should allow private use of fireworks is one that comes up every year at about this time.  But this year the debate seems less heated.  Maybe repetition has led to loss of interest?

There is little doubt private use of fireworks causes some harm. Every November 5 there are multiple call outs of the fire service, people get burnt and injured, and fires start in houses or in the bush.  Animals such as dogs tend to be badly affected.

But the Government has always resisted the call to ban fireworks and the closest we have got is restricting the date for when you can buy fireworks to the few days before 5 November.  I don’t think the government will take any action this year either.  For too many people it is almost a basic right to have fireworks in the backyard and there would for sure be a political backlash to a complete ban.

Middle courses of action would be to require private users to have a permit if there is more than a certain number of people or fireworks involved.  However, that would be very difficult to police and the fire and police services have enough to-do already I think.  Personally I would be OK with a ban but then I haven’t lit a firework since my family grew up which is a few years now.

I suspect this is another one of those generational issues.  In my younger days there was a fireworks display in virtually every backyard in the neighbourhood and community bonfires were quite common.  Look around the hillside suburbs against Wellington harbour these days, and the displays are still there but are relatively few.  There are families growing up who have never touched a firework and are more than happy watching the public displays.

So I think that the answer is that the tradition – which in nonsensical for New Zealand anyway, – will gradually die out, or at least die out to the point where some sort of proper regulatory control on private activity is doable.   One of the factors in this is the magnificent public displays that are now put on.  The Wellington display – using the natural amphitheatre of the Wellington Harbour – is a great example, and most cities and towns also have public displays.

I wonder too whether the 5 November tradition is due for an overhaul.  Who remembers Guy Fawkes in this country these days?   It would be better to pick a day of New Zealand celebration to have fireworks displays.  That I guess raises the old issue of whether or not we should have what might be called a “New Zealand Day” – personally I think we should and I don’t think we should convert an existing day, eg I don’t think either Waitangi Day or ANZAC Day are particularly suitable  – they have their own purpose.

I think something like that will eventually come but not yet!  I think the present government is pretty resistant to creating new public holidays.

So enjoy your local public display!

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This is another of Bas Walker’s posts on GrownUps.  Please look out for his articles, containing his Beachside Ponderings.