Fireworks leave trail of destruction

A barrage of fireworks blasts and property destruction throughout the country are driving a groundswell of support for a ban on sales to the public.

Fireworks have caused 65 fires in the past few days, including a house blaze in Christchurch that forced a family to flee for their lives.

The trail of damage led yesterday to local councils and medical professionals backing a call by the Fire Service and the SPCA for a ban on sales.

Health experts at a national conference in Wellington said fireworks should be retained only for public displays.

"The spectacle would still be there, but in a safe environment," said Injury Prevention Network chairwoman Sandra James.

"The Government's refusal to consider such a move seems to be out of step with public opinion, and is unnecessarily exposing people to the risk of injury."

Plastic surgeon Chris Adams expects to treat children and young people with burned hands and faces - some of whom will be scarred or otherwise maimed for life.

"It makes me angry because it is so pointless," said Mr Adams, who works in the burns unit at Hutt Hospital.

"Personally, I would support a ban on private sales of fireworks because I think the risks far outweigh the 'fun'," he said.

North Shore Mayor George Wood and Manukau Mayor Sir Barry Curtis said their councils had been inundated with noise complaints and safety worries.

Mr Wood said the situation was "out of control".

"The noise is just resounding around neighbourhoods.

"New Zealand should look at places like Sydney, where you just can't go into a retail shop and buy fireworks. You have to get a permit over there and it's not easy to get a permit."

The easy availability of fireworks was at odds with local government's ability to set up bylaws and bans, Mr Wood said.

"This is really something that indicates that we have become real soft in our approach to things such as maintaining public order and maintaining quality of life. The Government has really been remiss in the way they've handled it."

But two senior politicians say the present law is adequate.

Former Environment Minister Marian Hobbs said that during her time as minister she received between five and 10 letters a year calling for a ban. She believed an outright ban was not justified.

Her replacement, David Benson-Pope, said Parliament debated the issue in 1994 and 1996 but decided that a few irresponsible people should not prevent others using fireworks.

It instead passed regulations limiting the strength of fireworks and introducing an age limit on buying them.

Mr Benson-Pope said people had legal responsibilities to use fireworks in a proper manner.

National chief fire officer Paul Baxter said the Fire Service had always favoured a total ban on public sales.

"We don't want to be killjoys but we want people to be safe," he said.

"We don't want to see damage to people, property or pets, but what we're saying is the public perception is that the legal age should be raised to at least 16 or 18."

Mr Baxter cited a recent survey conducted for the service which found 80 per cent support for raising the age restriction from 14.

The number of blazes caused by fireworks had tripled in the past four years, and he felt this year's tally - 65 so far - would top last year's 350 incidents.

- additional reporting: NZPA