Whangārei's annual Lions' Guy Fawkes Fireworks Spectacular display has been cancelled this year because Semenoff Stadium is possibly needed for rugby.
Whangārei's annual Lions' Guy Fawkes Fireworks Spectacular display has been cancelled this year because Semenoff Stadium is possibly needed for rugby.
Covid-19 has created a casualty in Northland.
Whangārei's annual Guy Fawkes fireworks display can't go ahead this year as the Covid-stalled National Provincial Rugby competition needs Semenoff Stadium in case Northland makes the semifinals.
The Whangārei Lions clubs have been organising the Lions Fireworks Spectacular at the stadium for thepast 26 years, and had pencilled in November 6 - the day after Bonfire Night - for this year's event after last year's had to be cancelled the day before due to a forecast of foul weather.
Organiser Ray Topia said soon after last year's Fireworks Spectacular was cancelled the Lions clubs pencilled in the November 6 date. But when he went to confirm the date earlier this year, he was told the cost of hiring the stadium had gone up from around $2300 to $13,000 - an almost 500 per cent increase.
So Topia applied for funding from the Whangārei District Council to help pay the increased costs, but was turned down.
But with funding secure, he went to Venues and Events Whangārei last month to confirm the date only to be told the fireworks display could not go ahead on November 6 because the ground was needed in case the Northland Taniwha make the Bunnings NPC Championship finals.
Covid forced a month-long postponement of the NPC, which means the season has been extended a month, and the stadium was now needed for longer.
The Taniwha have lost all four games so far this season to sit second bottom of the seven-team Championship table with one competition point and a points differential of -112. They would need to finish in the top two in the division to get a home semifinal.
The team was to play the top-of the NPC Premiership table Waikato at Semenoff Stadium last night. The result was not through by edition time for today's paper, but a loss would almost guarantee the team could not make the Championship finals.
Venues and Events Whangārei had offered alternative dates for the fireworks of December 4 or 11, but Topia said that's a month after Guy Fawkes night and did not work out for Lions.
Topia said Lions had lined up about $28,000 of fireworks to let off at what would have been Whangārei's only fireworks display for Guy Fawkes Night.
''We've been running this for 26 years and it's just so disappointing that we've had to cancel it this close to the event. It attracted 7000 to 8000 people into the stadium every year, with many of them children, and thousands more would watch from surrounding areas,'' he said.
''It was also our biggest fundraiser of the year, which gave us about $30,000 to $35,000 to put towards our community work. It's just such a shame we won't be able to provide that work.
''We also gave away lots of tickets to children's charities like Women's Refuge, the Maunu Health camp and Barnardos, so they will miss out too.''
The event was also used by other community groups to fundraise, and food and drink vendors had been booked.
Topia said at a time when there's a push to ban fireworks from public sale and have more public displays, the cancellation may cause issues.
''There'll be many more people in Whangārei who will now go out and buy their own fireworks and let them off because there's no public display. That could cause its own problems.''
He said with so little time left there was nowhere else the event could be held that could provide a secure area so people could be charged to attend.
Whangārei's Lions Fireworks Spectacular has always attracted plenty of families, but the event is off this year as it clashes with a potential rugby game.
Venues and Events Whangārei manager Carina de Graaf said it was a shame the fireworks could not go ahead and that the alternative dates offered where not suitable for Lions.
de Graaf said the agreement with rugby was that the pitch could not be used for big events during the season to protect the playing surface.
She said with the season extended due to Covid the agreement had to be extended in case the stadium was needed for the semis.
''It's related to turf management. They've got to complete the season and we can't have people on the field for the fireworks.''
de Graaf confirmed the rental of the stadium had increased as well.
She said previously Lions would have got the stadium under an old deal, but the venue is now managed by new management from October 1 that has a more commercial focus.
''It's a real shame (the fireworks) can't go ahead, and I'm aware of the amount of time already put into it, but hopefully it can return next year - Covid permitting.''
