Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Annual Coromandel Peninsula New Year's Eve fireworks display cancelled

Each year, holidaymakers pile onto Tairua Harbour to watch the annual New Year's Eve fireworks display, but this year's beloved fireworks display has been cancelled.

A post to social media by event organisers said the display was cancelled "because it is impossible for the organisers to sight the My Vaccine Passes".

"The new Covid Traffic light system has forced Tairua Pauanui Promotions to cancel the event because it is impossible for the organisers to sight the My Vaccine Passes of the thousands of people who are expected to gather along the foreshore of Tairua harbour on New Year's Eve to watch the fireworks," the post read.

Matt Worn has spent many summers in the Coromandel holiday hotspot and called the decision "ridiculous".

"It seems pretty minor but at the end of (a) year like this, it's like: 'Don't take this away from us'," he said.

"People can sit on the beach any time and not show a vaccine pass so why do they have to just watch fireworks," he questioned.

Experience Pauanui chairman John Hindmarsh said cancelling the fireworks display was not an easy decision.

"I know people are disappointed, we too are disappointed but we just don't think there is any choice," he said.

After examining how outdoor community events are expected to run under the orange settings, Hindmarsh said it became clear access to the event could not be controlled.

According to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, outdoor community gatherings can operate under orange with no capacity limits as long as vaccine passes are used.

The traditional fireworks display at Auckland's Sky Tower is among events cancelled this year. Photo / Dean Purcell

However, outdoor community gatherings with uncontrolled access can operate but are restricted to 50 people per defined space.

Attending the fireworks in previous years, Worn said people watching are spread across"kilometres" of beach line.

Face coverings are also required for workers and strongly encouraged for others.

Hindmarsh said thousands of people watch the fireworks from the public reserve on the northern and southern sides of the harbour.

The much-anticipated and hugely popular fireworks display traditionally held in downtown Auckland at the Sky Tower has also been canned, it was announced last week.

In a statement released to media, the company said: "We appreciate this will come as a disappointment to some, but the priority is keeping everybody safe."

People in Auckland - which is in the red setting of the traffic light system - can still, however, look forward to a bright and colourful light show that has been organised to light up the city's harbour on the Auckland Harbour Bridge.