November 3, 2025 • 17 mins
It’s that time of year again, where we debate whether New Zealanders should be allowed to let off fireworks.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is among those opposed, saying they know first-hand how dangerous fireworks can be.
Last year was the worst year for fireworks-related fires since 2017, with 166 unwanted fires.
Firework sales are restricted to a four-day period from November 2 to 5 each year – but there are growing calls for that to be scrapped.
First on The Front Page, Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s readiness and recovery national manager, Adrian Nacey, is with us. Later we’ll chat to the SPCA’s Scientific Officer, Dr Alison Vaughan on how to protect our animals from fireworks.
Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.
Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Kyotra. I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page,
a daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. It's
that time of year again where we debate where the
New Zealanders should be allowed to let off fireworks fire
in emergency. New Zealand is among those opposed, saying they
(00:28):
know first hand how dangerous fireworks can be. Last year
was the worst year for fireworks related fires since twenty seventeen,
with one hundred and sixty six unwanted blazers. Fireworks sales
are restricted to a four day period from November two
to fifth each year, but there are growing calls for
(00:49):
that to be scrapped entirely. Later we'll chat to the
spca's Scientific Officer, Dr Allison Vaughan on how to protect
our animals from fireworks. But first on the front page,
bire an Emergency. New Zealand Readiness and Recovery National Manager
Adrian Nacy is with us. Adrian Fens has made a
(01:16):
submission supporting several petitions calling for a ban on the
public sale of fireworks. What prompted the agency to support.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
This Yes, so the use of fireworks to the public
odds worth I guess Fire and Emergencies PRINCIPALITYTIVES, which is
to keep people, property and the environment safe from the
risk of unwanted fire. So we've got a few different
things we do to try and keep people safe from fire.
And putting further restrictions on the sale of fireworks to
(01:48):
the general public would help that, then we would absolutely
support it.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Yeah, how significant is the risk of fireworks related fire
has been in recent years?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Yes, so we get about one hundred and seventy fireworks
related callouts each year and these range from small fires
that are really easy for us to put out, fruit
fires that burned for several days, tying up our resources.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Now, do you have any examples of situations that perhaps
have gotten a bit out of hand.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
We've got a couple.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
We had a significant fire down in Pegasus in North
Canterbury on the second of November in twenty twenty two,
so that's the day that fireworks went on sale. So
fireworks we set off at the beach there and got
into the pine plantation and got out of control. So
that burned for around two hundred hectares of pine forest
(02:37):
and also some native regenerating forests.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Of the local community had planted.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
We had to evacuate the community of wood End in
the middle of the night, putting people into evacuation centers,
evacuating people from the campground, and also a horse stud.
That fire took us about five days to put out.
We had it out eventually by about the seventh of November.
We're our crew could be released from that and at
one cost over four hundred thousand dollars for us to
(03:05):
deal with. And there's a big kind of what we
call a campaign fire. We've also had a couple of
pretty significant nights for fireworks incidents. We had a particularly
windy and hot years at the end of twenty twenty
two and in the middle of the night on years
at one point we were responding to fifteen fires that
I can see by fireworks at the same time, for communities,
(03:26):
that's not where they want our crews in the middle
of the night they want them.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
They're responding where they need them.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
No.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
And I remember when I moved here from Australia. I
was and I saw the fireworks being sold on the
side of the road around this time of the year.
I was just like how and why, because obviously Australia
is like just a tinder box everywhere. So in my mind,
I think it's insane that there is a public sale
of fireworks. Why do you think there still is this
(03:54):
in New Zealand? Do you guys just like blowing stuff up?
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Look, that's that's not for me to really comment. It's
like why they're still still being sold. We do see,
like at the end of November, where we are, at
the end of October, sorry, where we are at the moment.
We've already had some really significant fires in the last
couple of weeks, obviously not caused by fireworks, but it
does show that conditions and parts of the country are
(04:17):
right for these fires getting out of control and causing
some really significant damage to communities, which is what we're
trying to stop.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Right.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Do you think everyone who lets off fireworks does in
fact check the conditions first?
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I don't think so, that's not what we see.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
We see people setting them off when it's hot, dry
and windy, which is what we're trying to avoid. We've
got a really good website called chickens Right dot m Z.
You can go on there and you can get some
fire safety tips, not just for fireworks. Fires are looking
to light in the outdoors, but you can also check
both the fire danger and the fire weather, and you
(04:54):
can also look for any bands where you are at
that time or coming up in the future.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
So that's chickens, right, Dot and Z.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
We really are asking people to cheat the conditions if
they are planning to set off fireworks.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Yeah, does fans actually roster more people on nights, say
like guy fawks or New Year's orff something like that
for this exact reason.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
It's a good question.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
We maintain like a really constant state of readiness to
respond to whatever our communities need us for any day,
in any hour of the year. So we don't have
to roster people on over guy fawks on years. We
just respond to what we're required to.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So where can't people set off fireworks? Presumably the beach
given what happened down in Pegasus.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, the beaches.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
So you do need the land owners permission to set
off fireworks, So on your own property, you know that
if there's no restriction in place, that's okay. Most of
the councils around the country have firework bands in place
for public areas like parks, beaches. Obviously, Department of Conservation
areas are an absolutely no go for setting off fireworks,
but you do need that landowner's permission, and certainly most
(06:03):
councils have banned fireworks we see off in public places
like parks.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, I guess celebrating guy fawks with a barbecue and
some firecrackers is a long held tradition for many ki
We families. What are some other ways perhaps we could
celebrate if a band does come into effect? Do you think?
Have you seen so many good ideas from overseas?
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Yeah, there's some great public displays.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
I know here in Wellington the Speedway puts on a
pretty impressive fireworks display every year, and there's some really
great fundraising displays put on as well. So maybe got
opportunity to get and then support your community that way
and leaving the fireworks enhance the professionals is always our preference.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Yeah. Does fans actually work with councils and stuff on
those public fireworks displays to make sure it's all safe?
Speaker 3 (06:47):
We do.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah, there's a system that we go through to approve
what we call pyrotechnic displays. They're slightly different to your
retail fireworks, a bit more vergulan exciting, So we work
with the people that set those.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Off, sort of like a Metallica concert or something. I
assume that there's some pyrotechniques there. Do you consult them
as well?
Speaker 3 (07:06):
We do.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Yeah, we work with them and they often safety regulated,
work safe as well.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
So obviously there's no ban in place yet. But what
are the precautions for people that they can ensure that
it's all safe and above board at home.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yes, there's some good, basic common sense steps you can take.
So the first one is picking where you're going to
see your fireworks, So have them in a wide open
space away from anything that can catch fire, dry grass
trees in your house.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Have them pointing towards the sky.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I don't point them towards other people or animals or
anything that can can set fire. Make sure you've got
something to put them out or put fires out if
they do a curse. They have a garden hose or
a bucket nearby. Keep your kids, your kids or your
pets and your animals away. Be a good neighbor, have
a chat to your community if you're going to set
(07:57):
off fireworks. Some people can find them distressing, and animals
that they want to look after the same.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Chanty neighbors, and last thing.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Make sure they're out before you put them in the bin,
So check them in a bucket of water, let them
all cool down, then just post them.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Awesome. Thanks for joining us, Adrian.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
All right, Chelsea, Yeah, I mean I think drone shows
are safer than fireworks. They're more environmentally friendly and they're
also quieter, so you your pets can watch, the vets
can watch without PTSD. My partner, Michelle, her husband, actually
(08:36):
is a veteran, and you know, she says that the
benefits of drones shows are just amazing for our vets,
you know, not to mention they're just way safer as
you're mentioning, as you're saying now. So I think that that,
combined with the fact that you can get the stunning
formations in the night sky, is really why you're seeing
the uptick in drone shoes.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
So there are alternatives, and as we heard, drone shows
offer a safer, quieter option, and that's good news not
just for people, but for animals too. To talk about
the impact fireworks have on pets and wildlife, we're joined
by spca's Scientific Officer, doctor Allison Vaughan. So, Allison, it'll
(09:21):
come as no surprise to anyone that animals aren't huge
fans of fireworks, and I guess that would make it
a very busy time of year for the SPCA.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Hey yeah, Well, we know that from surveys in New
Zealand that up to seventy five percent of cats and
dogs are frightened of fireworks, and also other animals like horses,
can not only be frightened, but often quite often seriously injured.
When we think of the likes of that poor horse
Remy last year, this can have very serious consequences, so
(09:53):
we're definitely not fans of it. Typically we don't see
too many animals coming in necessarily beause most people take
them to their vets if they're injured. But we do
know there are a lot more lost animals because often
they panic and run off and it could be really
challenging for people to get their animals back home.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
What happened to Remy the horse last year?
Speaker 4 (10:13):
So last year, very sadly the Remy, a Thoroughbred horse,
became entangled in a fence as a result of panicking
due to fireworks and had to be euthanized. And this
is something that actually a New Zealand study found that
twenty six percent of horse owners reported their animals being
injured due to panic caused by fireworks. So it's very
serious consequences we're seeing.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Yeah, do you have any data or examples, I suppose
in recent years that show how wide spread these incidents are.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Yeah, So, as I said, that was twenty six percent
of horse owners who said that their animals had been
injured as a result. In terms of animals that are
that had collisions and things with fences, we're looking at
like thirty five percent. So this is a very common
and very predictable but also very avoidable suffering for animals.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
And it's not just the injuries of course as well.
The noise alone can distress animals a lot, but that
can make it pretty hard for us to comprehend what
they're going through. I can only imagine, you know, them
looking up at the sky and thinking that the world's
going to cave in on them because they're like, what
is this sound? Is there any human experience that's comparable
I suppose to what animals might be experienced.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Yeah, well, I suppose we do. Know some people are
also impacted by fireworks and find it very traumatic. So
I think we don't have to reach too far to
try and understand what they might be going through. And
a big part of the issue is we're often told
what it's one night, or it's you know, they're only
on sale for four days. The reality is people can
stock while fireworks and let them off any day at night,
and that makes it so hard for pet owners to
(11:46):
keep their animals safe.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
How can pet owners keep their animals safe?
Speaker 4 (11:51):
That is such a great question. It's really important that
we know while people can let them off at anytime,
most people will be letting them off after diark, So
make sure you're exercising your dogs earlier than usual, getting
them inside the house so safe and secured. Same with
your cats. Make sure if they are allowed to go
outside in roam, that they're safely contained before the fireworks start.
(12:13):
And then there's things you can do in the home
to muffle the noise. For example, last year, we collaborated
for the first time with ourn Z Concert to put
on a concert for animals with soothing music for pets
and their owners, and we'll be doing that again this year,
and that can help just hide some of them, muffle
some of the noises, but also help soothe ah.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
That's a really good idea. I'm going to check it
on from my cat April. I mean, even the thunder
and lightning the other week in Auckland got her going.
So giving them that so that you just kind of
need to give them because you wish that you can
explain what's happening to them, right, you know, she's so
and she's trying to protect me from the thunder and
lend the loud noises and you just kind of want
(12:52):
to be like, I'm so sorry. So giving them kind
of another avenue to look at or listen to a
good idea.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Yeah, and making sure you're home. I mean, I would
say that's one of the most important things, to make
sure they don't hurt themselves due to panic. We know
a lot of New Zealands really care about this issue,
and you'll be aware of the petitions currently before the
Select Committee. That has been we get petitions for fireworks
very often sadly without concrete action, but this has been
the highest number of signatures we've seen yet. And we'll
(13:22):
actually be traveling down Dwelling to next week to present
the sect Committee to try and get an end to
this madness. We can't keep doing this.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Why do you think there's still for sale in New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
That is a very good question. So to be clear
that New Zealand doesn't have an issue with notified public displays,
so where the communities can come together and enjoy fireworks.
What we have a problem with is the retail sales.
So we're the private sale and use of these fireworks
where anyone can decide to let off explosives at any
(13:57):
time of day or night on any given day, and
that's a real issue. So that's what we want to
see addressed.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
What should someone do if because it's not only domesticated
pets and animals. Hey, you've got the horses obviously we've
spoken about, but also wildlife. What should someone do if
you see an injured bird or wildlife?
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Yeah, and this is we often see an empathize with
their own animals in the home and it can be
really distressing. But I'm from the UK, where a guy
fox is in the autumn. Here in New Zealand it
is in the spring when our vulnerable native birds are breeding.
Some of them are sitting on the nests, some of
them have young, and there's really good scientific evidence to
show that fireworks can actually cause big disruptions to the
(14:41):
behavior of these birds can also cause nest abandonment, disrupt feeding,
and sadly there's not a lot we can do to
protect them while we have our current rules in place.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Would tighter regulation rather than a full band be acceptable
or would it even work?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
I suppose what we're looking for is thing that's a
practical compromise, which is allowing notified licensed public displays. We
think that allows people the fun and enjoyment whilst also
minimizing the harms, rather than we're not pushing for an
outright ban on all fireworks, although we have seen several
councils adopt alternatives, so drone shows, laser shows, which can
(15:20):
be really a great alternative without the negative side effects.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
And so obviously this isn't a new conversation. We have
this conversation essentially every year around this time when they're
out for public sale. What do you think needs to
happen for this to go ahead or for the public
sale band to go ahead? Or do you think we're
getting quite close?
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Well, it's interesting because Minister Greg Fleming, who received the petition,
he actually said that perhaps we were approaching a tipping point.
But I have to say, the scientific evidence on the
harms incredibly robust. It's not just animal welfare. We've also
got police and foreign emergency also pushing for a ban.
(16:08):
We know that actually there are great alternatives that would
allow people the same enjoyment. We know that this is
the most people that have ever signed petitions calling for
a ban. I'd kind of ask, what more can it
possibly take before we finally see some proper action on this,
because the status call cannot be allowed to continue.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Thanks so much for joining us, Allison.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
That's quite a right great chat.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
That's it for this episode of the Front Page. You
can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage
at nzherld dot co dot nz. The Front Page is
produced by Jane Ye and Richard Martin, who is also
our editor. I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to the Front Page
on iHeartRadio or where you get your podcasts, and tune
(17:02):
in tomorrow for another look behind the headlines.
Kyotra. I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page,
a daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. It's
that time of year again where we debate where the
New Zealanders should be allowed to let off fireworks fire
in emergency. New Zealand is among those opposed, saying they
(00:28):
know first hand how dangerous fireworks can be. Last year
was the worst year for fireworks related fires since twenty seventeen,
with one hundred and sixty six unwanted blazers. Fireworks sales
are restricted to a four day period from November two
to fifth each year, but there are growing calls for
(00:49):
that to be scrapped entirely. Later we'll chat to the
spca's Scientific Officer, Dr Allison Vaughan on how to protect
our animals from fireworks. But first on the front page,
bire an Emergency. New Zealand Readiness and Recovery National Manager
Adrian Nacy is with us. Adrian Fens has made a
(01:16):
submission supporting several petitions calling for a ban on the
public sale of fireworks. What prompted the agency to support.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
This Yes, so the use of fireworks to the public
odds worth I guess Fire and Emergencies PRINCIPALITYTIVES, which is
to keep people, property and the environment safe from the
risk of unwanted fire. So we've got a few different
things we do to try and keep people safe from fire.
And putting further restrictions on the sale of fireworks to
(01:48):
the general public would help that, then we would absolutely
support it.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
Yeah, how significant is the risk of fireworks related fire
has been in recent years?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Yes, so we get about one hundred and seventy fireworks
related callouts each year and these range from small fires
that are really easy for us to put out, fruit
fires that burned for several days, tying up our resources.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Now, do you have any examples of situations that perhaps
have gotten a bit out of hand.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
We've got a couple.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
We had a significant fire down in Pegasus in North
Canterbury on the second of November in twenty twenty two,
so that's the day that fireworks went on sale. So
fireworks we set off at the beach there and got
into the pine plantation and got out of control. So
that burned for around two hundred hectares of pine forest
(02:37):
and also some native regenerating forests.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Of the local community had planted.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
We had to evacuate the community of wood End in
the middle of the night, putting people into evacuation centers,
evacuating people from the campground, and also a horse stud.
That fire took us about five days to put out.
We had it out eventually by about the seventh of November.
We're our crew could be released from that and at
one cost over four hundred thousand dollars for us to
(03:05):
deal with. And there's a big kind of what we
call a campaign fire. We've also had a couple of
pretty significant nights for fireworks incidents. We had a particularly
windy and hot years at the end of twenty twenty
two and in the middle of the night on years
at one point we were responding to fifteen fires that
I can see by fireworks at the same time, for communities,
(03:26):
that's not where they want our crews in the middle
of the night they want them.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
They're responding where they need them.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
No.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
And I remember when I moved here from Australia. I
was and I saw the fireworks being sold on the
side of the road around this time of the year.
I was just like how and why, because obviously Australia
is like just a tinder box everywhere. So in my mind,
I think it's insane that there is a public sale
of fireworks. Why do you think there still is this
(03:54):
in New Zealand? Do you guys just like blowing stuff up?
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Look, that's that's not for me to really comment. It's
like why they're still still being sold. We do see,
like at the end of November, where we are, at
the end of October, sorry, where we are at the moment.
We've already had some really significant fires in the last
couple of weeks, obviously not caused by fireworks, but it
does show that conditions and parts of the country are
(04:17):
right for these fires getting out of control and causing
some really significant damage to communities, which is what we're
trying to stop.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Right.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Do you think everyone who lets off fireworks does in
fact check the conditions first?
Speaker 3 (04:30):
I don't think so, that's not what we see.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
We see people setting them off when it's hot, dry
and windy, which is what we're trying to avoid. We've
got a really good website called chickens Right dot m Z.
You can go on there and you can get some
fire safety tips, not just for fireworks. Fires are looking
to light in the outdoors, but you can also check
both the fire danger and the fire weather, and you
(04:54):
can also look for any bands where you are at
that time or coming up in the future.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
So that's chickens, right, Dot and Z.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
We really are asking people to cheat the conditions if
they are planning to set off fireworks.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Yeah, does fans actually roster more people on nights, say
like guy fawks or New Year's orff something like that
for this exact reason.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
It's a good question.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
We maintain like a really constant state of readiness to
respond to whatever our communities need us for any day,
in any hour of the year. So we don't have
to roster people on over guy fawks on years. We
just respond to what we're required to.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So where can't people set off fireworks? Presumably the beach
given what happened down in Pegasus.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Yeah, the beaches.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
So you do need the land owners permission to set
off fireworks, So on your own property, you know that
if there's no restriction in place, that's okay. Most of
the councils around the country have firework bands in place
for public areas like parks, beaches. Obviously, Department of Conservation
areas are an absolutely no go for setting off fireworks,
but you do need that landowner's permission, and certainly most
(06:03):
councils have banned fireworks we see off in public places
like parks.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, I guess celebrating guy fawks with a barbecue and
some firecrackers is a long held tradition for many ki
We families. What are some other ways perhaps we could
celebrate if a band does come into effect? Do you think?
Have you seen so many good ideas from overseas?
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Yeah, there's some great public displays.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
I know here in Wellington the Speedway puts on a
pretty impressive fireworks display every year, and there's some really
great fundraising displays put on as well. So maybe got
opportunity to get and then support your community that way
and leaving the fireworks enhance the professionals is always our preference.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Yeah. Does fans actually work with councils and stuff on
those public fireworks displays to make sure it's all safe?
Speaker 3 (06:47):
We do.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah, there's a system that we go through to approve
what we call pyrotechnic displays. They're slightly different to your
retail fireworks, a bit more vergulan exciting, So we work
with the people that set those.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Off, sort of like a Metallica concert or something. I
assume that there's some pyrotechniques there. Do you consult them
as well?
Speaker 3 (07:06):
We do.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Yeah, we work with them and they often safety regulated,
work safe as well.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
So obviously there's no ban in place yet. But what
are the precautions for people that they can ensure that
it's all safe and above board at home.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
Yes, there's some good, basic common sense steps you can take.
So the first one is picking where you're going to
see your fireworks, So have them in a wide open
space away from anything that can catch fire, dry grass
trees in your house.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Have them pointing towards the sky.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
I don't point them towards other people or animals or
anything that can can set fire. Make sure you've got
something to put them out or put fires out if
they do a curse. They have a garden hose or
a bucket nearby. Keep your kids, your kids or your
pets and your animals away. Be a good neighbor, have
a chat to your community if you're going to set
(07:57):
off fireworks. Some people can find them distressing, and animals
that they want to look after the same.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Chanty neighbors, and last thing.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Make sure they're out before you put them in the bin,
So check them in a bucket of water, let them
all cool down, then just post them.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Awesome. Thanks for joining us, Adrian.
Speaker 5 (08:13):
All right, Chelsea, Yeah, I mean I think drone shows
are safer than fireworks. They're more environmentally friendly and they're
also quieter, so you your pets can watch, the vets
can watch without PTSD. My partner, Michelle, her husband, actually
(08:36):
is a veteran, and you know, she says that the
benefits of drones shows are just amazing for our vets,
you know, not to mention they're just way safer as
you're mentioning, as you're saying now. So I think that that,
combined with the fact that you can get the stunning
formations in the night sky, is really why you're seeing
the uptick in drone shoes.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
So there are alternatives, and as we heard, drone shows
offer a safer, quieter option, and that's good news not
just for people, but for animals too. To talk about
the impact fireworks have on pets and wildlife, we're joined
by spca's Scientific Officer, doctor Allison Vaughan. So, Allison, it'll
(09:21):
come as no surprise to anyone that animals aren't huge
fans of fireworks, and I guess that would make it
a very busy time of year for the SPCA.
Speaker 4 (09:31):
Hey yeah, Well, we know that from surveys in New
Zealand that up to seventy five percent of cats and
dogs are frightened of fireworks, and also other animals like horses,
can not only be frightened, but often quite often seriously injured.
When we think of the likes of that poor horse
Remy last year, this can have very serious consequences, so
(09:53):
we're definitely not fans of it. Typically we don't see
too many animals coming in necessarily beause most people take
them to their vets if they're injured. But we do
know there are a lot more lost animals because often
they panic and run off and it could be really
challenging for people to get their animals back home.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
What happened to Remy the horse last year?
Speaker 4 (10:13):
So last year, very sadly the Remy, a Thoroughbred horse,
became entangled in a fence as a result of panicking
due to fireworks and had to be euthanized. And this
is something that actually a New Zealand study found that
twenty six percent of horse owners reported their animals being
injured due to panic caused by fireworks. So it's very
serious consequences we're seeing.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Yeah, do you have any data or examples, I suppose
in recent years that show how wide spread these incidents are.
Speaker 4 (10:41):
Yeah, So, as I said, that was twenty six percent
of horse owners who said that their animals had been
injured as a result. In terms of animals that are
that had collisions and things with fences, we're looking at
like thirty five percent. So this is a very common
and very predictable but also very avoidable suffering for animals.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
And it's not just the injuries of course as well.
The noise alone can distress animals a lot, but that
can make it pretty hard for us to comprehend what
they're going through. I can only imagine, you know, them
looking up at the sky and thinking that the world's
going to cave in on them because they're like, what
is this sound? Is there any human experience that's comparable
I suppose to what animals might be experienced.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Yeah, well, I suppose we do. Know some people are
also impacted by fireworks and find it very traumatic. So
I think we don't have to reach too far to
try and understand what they might be going through. And
a big part of the issue is we're often told
what it's one night, or it's you know, they're only
on sale for four days. The reality is people can
stock while fireworks and let them off any day at night,
and that makes it so hard for pet owners to
(11:46):
keep their animals safe.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
How can pet owners keep their animals safe?
Speaker 4 (11:51):
That is such a great question. It's really important that
we know while people can let them off at anytime,
most people will be letting them off after diark, So
make sure you're exercising your dogs earlier than usual, getting
them inside the house so safe and secured. Same with
your cats. Make sure if they are allowed to go
outside in roam, that they're safely contained before the fireworks start.
(12:13):
And then there's things you can do in the home
to muffle the noise. For example, last year, we collaborated
for the first time with ourn Z Concert to put
on a concert for animals with soothing music for pets
and their owners, and we'll be doing that again this year,
and that can help just hide some of them, muffle
some of the noises, but also help soothe ah.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
That's a really good idea. I'm going to check it
on from my cat April. I mean, even the thunder
and lightning the other week in Auckland got her going.
So giving them that so that you just kind of
need to give them because you wish that you can
explain what's happening to them, right, you know, she's so
and she's trying to protect me from the thunder and
lend the loud noises and you just kind of want
(12:52):
to be like, I'm so sorry. So giving them kind
of another avenue to look at or listen to a
good idea.
Speaker 4 (13:00):
Yeah, and making sure you're home. I mean, I would
say that's one of the most important things, to make
sure they don't hurt themselves due to panic. We know
a lot of New Zealands really care about this issue,
and you'll be aware of the petitions currently before the
Select Committee. That has been we get petitions for fireworks
very often sadly without concrete action, but this has been
the highest number of signatures we've seen yet. And we'll
(13:22):
actually be traveling down Dwelling to next week to present
the sect Committee to try and get an end to
this madness. We can't keep doing this.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Why do you think there's still for sale in New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (13:36):
That is a very good question. So to be clear
that New Zealand doesn't have an issue with notified public displays,
so where the communities can come together and enjoy fireworks.
What we have a problem with is the retail sales.
So we're the private sale and use of these fireworks
where anyone can decide to let off explosives at any
(13:57):
time of day or night on any given day, and
that's a real issue. So that's what we want to
see addressed.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
What should someone do if because it's not only domesticated
pets and animals. Hey, you've got the horses obviously we've
spoken about, but also wildlife. What should someone do if
you see an injured bird or wildlife?
Speaker 4 (14:19):
Yeah, and this is we often see an empathize with
their own animals in the home and it can be
really distressing. But I'm from the UK, where a guy
fox is in the autumn. Here in New Zealand it
is in the spring when our vulnerable native birds are breeding.
Some of them are sitting on the nests, some of
them have young, and there's really good scientific evidence to
show that fireworks can actually cause big disruptions to the
(14:41):
behavior of these birds can also cause nest abandonment, disrupt feeding,
and sadly there's not a lot we can do to
protect them while we have our current rules in place.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Would tighter regulation rather than a full band be acceptable
or would it even work?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
I suppose what we're looking for is thing that's a
practical compromise, which is allowing notified licensed public displays. We
think that allows people the fun and enjoyment whilst also
minimizing the harms, rather than we're not pushing for an
outright ban on all fireworks, although we have seen several
councils adopt alternatives, so drone shows, laser shows, which can
(15:20):
be really a great alternative without the negative side effects.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
And so obviously this isn't a new conversation. We have
this conversation essentially every year around this time when they're
out for public sale. What do you think needs to
happen for this to go ahead or for the public
sale band to go ahead? Or do you think we're
getting quite close?
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Well, it's interesting because Minister Greg Fleming, who received the petition,
he actually said that perhaps we were approaching a tipping point.
But I have to say, the scientific evidence on the
harms incredibly robust. It's not just animal welfare. We've also
got police and foreign emergency also pushing for a ban.
(16:08):
We know that actually there are great alternatives that would
allow people the same enjoyment. We know that this is
the most people that have ever signed petitions calling for
a ban. I'd kind of ask, what more can it
possibly take before we finally see some proper action on this,
because the status call cannot be allowed to continue.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Thanks so much for joining us, Allison.
Speaker 4 (16:32):
That's quite a right great chat.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
That's it for this episode of the Front Page. You
can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage
at nzherld dot co dot nz. The Front Page is
produced by Jane Ye and Richard Martin, who is also
our editor. I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to the Front Page
on iHeartRadio or where you get your podcasts, and tune
(17:02):
in tomorrow for another look behind the headlines.
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