Kerre Woodham: Are backyard fireworks really worth the cost?

It looks like setting fire to small explosives in the backyard will be one of those wacky stories you'll tell the grandkids about. You were able to set fire to explosives, Grandma? In the backyard? In your own home you let off little bombs? Yes, we did. Those were the days. A Parliamentary Select Committee has finally backed a ban on the public sale and use of fireworks.  

No one can really say they're shocked, surprised, knocked over with a feather by this, because momentum for a ban on public sales and use of fireworks has been building over the years, based on concerns over animal welfare, danger to life and property, and the number of police callouts. Danger to life is probably over-egging the omelette – certainly danger to limb. ACC's seen a number of cases every single year. 14 previous petitions have been presented to Parliament calling for a ban, but this is the first time the committee has recommended one. Committee member Greg Fleming, who loved a double happy and a skyrocket in his backyard, was initially against a ban but said the evidence presented was overwhelming. 

“We had three petitions come to us at pretty much the same time, and so we did the unusual thing of bundling them all up. So we heard from a range of submitters, and overwhelmingly the advice was to move towards seriously exploring a ban. In the end, the committee felt that we really didn't have almost any choice but to recommend that given the weight of evidence.” 

The Government has 60 days to respond to the committee – it's not done and dusted yet. But as well as the public backing, there's been support from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the SPCA, New Zealand Veterinary Association, Veterinarians for Animal Welfare, and Animates. A formal process including cabinet consideration would follow, and it won't be done before this year's election. It’ll probably end up being an election issue – you can see New Zealand First jumping on this one.  

I love fireworks, I absolutely love fireworks, but I do accept that the harm outweighs the enjoyment I get in my backyard. I'm happy to go to public displays, they can afford far better fireworks than I. It makes perfect sense to let off fireworks in Great Britain in winter, which is where the tradition began, but in New Zealand it's spring and it's nesting time. In England the sun sets at 4:30pm in November. In New Zealand it's after 8pm. ACC, as I referred to earlier, accepts roughly 300 new claims for fireworks related injuries in New Zealand every year. The costs exceeded $760,000 in 2023. Most injuries involve burns to hands and wrists, and in a shocking revelation, males aged 15 to 19 are most at risk. Children under 10 make up around 25% of all those injured. There were more than 1,500 firework related service calls for New Zealand Police. I can't even imagine how many there were for fire. Is it worth that kind of cost, that kind of disruption, to cling on to having bangers in your backyard?  

It's not an end to fireworks full stop. There will still be public displays of them. People will still be able to enjoy the incredible spectacle of fireworks filling the sky, choreographed fireworks, which are just beautiful. If it was an end to fireworks full stop, then I might dig my toes in, but on this one, this is not a hill I'm going to die on. Is it really worth it? It's the wrong time of year, it's not our tradition. I accept it as fun, but is it, given the cost, given the disruption, given the terrible, terrible injuries inflicted on animals every single year, is it really worth it? 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Carrywood and Morning's podcast from News
Talks head Be.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
It looks like setting fire to small explosives in the
backyard will be one of those wacky stories you'll tell
the grandkids about. You were able to set fire to explosives, Grandma,
in the backyard in your own home. You let off
little bombs, Yes we did. Those were the days. Our

(00:32):
Parliamentary Select Committee has finally backed a ban on the
public sale and use of fireworks. I mean, no one
can really say they're shocked, surprised, knocked over with a
feather by this, because momentum for a ban on public
sales and use of fireworks has been building over the

(00:54):
years based on concerns over animal welfare, danger to life
and property and the number of police call outs. Danger
to life is probably over egging the omelet certainly danger
to limb acc senate number of cases every single year.

(01:15):
Fourteen previous petitions have been presented to Parliament calling for
a ban, but this is the first time the committee
has recommended.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
One.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Committee member, Greg Fleming, who loved a double happy and
skyrocket in his backyard, was initially against a ban, but
said the evidence presented was overwhelming.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
We had three petitions come to us at pretty much
the same time and so we did the unusual thing
of bundling them all up. So we heard from a
range of submitters and overwhelmingly the advice was to move
towards seriously exploring a ban. In the end, the committee
felt that we really didn't have almost any choice but

(01:56):
to recommend that given the weight of evidence.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
So the government has sixty days to respond to the
committee and it's not done and dusted yet. But as
well as the public backing, there's been support from Fire
and Emergency New Zealand SBCA, New Zealand Veterinary Association, Veterinarians
for Animal Welfare and Animates. A formal process, including Cabinet

(02:24):
consideration would follow, and it won't be done before this
year's election, probably end up being an election issue. You
can see New Zealand first jumping on this one. I
love fireworks. I absolutely love fireworks, but I do accept
that the harmat weighs the enjoyment I get in my backyard.
I'm happy to go to public displays. Well, they can

(02:47):
afford far better fireworks than I. It makes perfect sense
to let off fireworks in great Britain in winter, which
is where the tradition began, but in New Zealand it's
spring and it's nesting time. In England, sun sets at
four point thirty pm in November, in New Zealand it's

(03:10):
after eight pm. Acc as I referred to earlier accepts
roughly three hundred new claims for fireworks related injuries in
New Zealand every year. The costs succeeded seven hundred and
sixty thousand dollars in twenty twenty three. Most injuries involve
burns to hands and wrists, and in a shocking revelation,

(03:31):
males aged fifteen to nineteen are most at risk. Children
under ten make up around twenty five percent of all
those injured. There were more than fifteen hundred firework related
service calls for New Zealand Police. I can't even imagine
how many there were for fire as it worth that
kind of cost, that kind of disruption to cling on

(03:54):
to having bangers in your backyard. It's not an end
to fireworks full stop. There will still be public displays
of them. People will still be able to enjoy the
incredible spectacle of fireworks filling the sky. Choreographed fireworks which
are just beautiful. If it was an end to fireworks

(04:16):
full stop, then I might digmatism, But in this one,
this is not a hell I'm going to die on
when you've got Is it really worth it? It's the
wrong time of year, it's not our tradition. I accept

(04:37):
it as fun, but is it given the cost, given
the disruption, given the terrible, terrible injuries inflicted on animals
every single year, is it really worth it?

Speaker 1 (04:53):
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