Opinion: Rotorua needs another public fireworks show

Locals enjoy fireworks at a recent Glo Festival. PHOTO/FILE

Does Rotorua need another public fireworks display? I say yes.

I don't particularly like fireworks, I admit anything more exciting than a sparkler freaks me out a little. But I understand there are people who love it and can enjoy fireworks at home safely and responsibly.

But earlier this week we reported warnings from local police and fire service staff about the dangers of fireworks.

During this period they are usually kept busy with unnecessary fires and injuries. Then there's the stress to pets, who like us not only have to put up with the banging and squealing on November 5 but for days and often weeks after.

Both fire safety investigator Stuart Bootten and Senior Sergeant Malcolm Collins urged people in Rotorua to enjoy public displays, rather than hold their own.

It's a sensible idea and after all, big displays are often far more spectacular than a few sky rockets at home, half of which seem to fizzle disappointingly.

But the only public display of any size is the annual one on tonight at the stock car meeting at Paradise Valley race track.

Good on the Rotorua Stock Car Club for staging it each year - it is by all accounts a good night out and if it wasn't for them there wouldn't be any option at all.

But what about the people who don't want to go to the stock cars but would like to take their families to a community fireworks display at Guy Fawkes?

Whakatane this year has a fireworks show billed as "New Zealand's largest fireworks extravaganza" while Taupo has a fireworks and laser extravaganza in Owen Delaney Park featuring a movie and a $25,000 fireworks display - and its only $5 to enter.

It would be great if we could have something similar next year. Whether it was organised and funded by the council, a local trust, a business or a combination of all three, who knows.

But judging by the amount of queries we have had this week from people wanting to know if there was a fireworks display at the Lakefront tomorrow night, I reckon it would be a popular addition to the calendar.

And it's safe to say our fire service, police, emergency department and pets would thank us for it.