Fusion Fireworks owner Luke Caridi says it’s the first time in almost 20 years that firework shipments have been held up interstate adding that authorities in NSW are working on a plan to get them to the NT for Territory Day

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, as you heard on the show yesterday, there's been
some further issues when it comes to fireworks for Territory Day.
We know that more than one one hundred tons of
fireworks destined for the Northern Territory for Territory Day had
last week been seized by New South Wales authorities. Now
the Chief Minister joined us on the show yesterday. She said,
then they got through New South Wales, but now they're

(00:21):
being held up by Queensland. She's confident that the issue
is going to hopefully be sorted by the end of
the week. But joining me on the line is one
of the suppliers, Fusion Fireworks owner Luke Kardi.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Good morning, Luke, Morning Katie.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
It's in a while, Oh it has mate. How are
things going? I mean, has this ever happened before in
your time doing business in the Northern Territory.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
No, it's where I think we're a year off two
decades and it's the first time that we've come across
this hurdle right and with the previous eighteen years it
has been the status quo. We've done the same procedure
through New South Wales. So there's there's just there's a

(01:06):
definitely a conversation and discussion. You know, once once the
dust settles and the gunpowder smoke settles, so we can
see where it went pair shape this year.

Speaker 1 (01:18):
So look from your perspective, what's the latest. Where are
your fireworks?

Speaker 2 (01:24):
The fire works are still in New South Wales. There
was a very productive meeting yesterday between the regulators which
were NT Queensland, New South Wales. They've formulated a solution.
So they're just finalizing, finalizing some details and they're going

(01:47):
to be doing some cross checks with the containers and
if those cross checks or check out, it'll be on
its way to northern territories. So the NT regulators being
empty works eight they've done a fantastic job and they've
been working around the clock with the interstate regulators to

(02:08):
get this happening.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
It just sounds wild, Like you think to yourself, you yourself,
you've been doing this for like eighteen years and it's
the first time it's happened. You just sort of wonder
why it's broken down this year or whether somebody's you know,
gotten a bit sort of I don't know, heavy handed
with their authority. It's it's an interesting scenario for us
all to be in.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
Yeah, i'd say interesting would be Yeah. Interesting definitely the word.
I don't really want to comment too much on it.
What I need to do is work with everyone to
ensure we get the product up to MTS Territorians can
and have some fun. Yeah, that's my primary objective at

(02:53):
this point in time.

Speaker 1 (02:54):
Are you feeling more confident that they're going to arrive,
that those fireworks are going to arrive by the first
of job.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
Yeah. Look after yesterday's meeting, it was death and it
gave us some confidence, you know. But it is a
mammoth pass, you know. We're you know, cross checking one
hundred ton of fireworks, you know, and they're still more
on the way. It's just not our hundred tons. We
were just fortunate to be the first ones, you know,

(03:21):
out of the blocks and arrive into Australia earlier. You know.
There's another eight forty foot containers on their way in
in the next week or two. Wow.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
So for you alone, for fusion fireworks, it's like one
hundred ton that you are waiting on.

Speaker 2 (03:36):
For you guys, we're at about eighty six tons. And
there was another importer on that same vessel as us.
He's he's so he's part of that one hundred, and
there's a there's a couple more importers with their stock
due to arrive in the next you know, week or two,

(03:57):
so so hopefully hopefully everything's resolved prior to the other
shipments arriving for you.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
I mean, if and I know it does sound as
though everybody's working really constructively now and it's going to happen.
But if you know, if you're in a situation where
they weren't able to be transported here and weren't able
to come to the territory for territory day, like, what
kind of impact would that have had on your business?

Speaker 2 (04:24):
What I'll do? It would sadden us because it's virtually
eighteen years and it's come to this. Obviously, those fireworks
there wouldn't be much of a massive market on it
for public displays, although they can be used for public displays,
so you know, they could be destroyed by authorities and

(04:47):
that would be industry wide. It wouldn't just happen to me.
It'd be devastating and probably essentially it would shut down
a company that's been paying their taxes for the past
eighteen years overnight, wouldn't recover from something like this if
you treated it as a standalone business.

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Well, mate, let's hope it gets sorted sooner rather than later.
People are messaging through, they're saying, why can't they still arrive?
You know, they're trying to ruin our fun in other states.

Speaker 2 (05:15):
We definitely we've got to put a big shout out
to the MT Regulator, MT Work Safe and Leah Leah,
chief Minister and the ministerial staff under her, because they
have been nonstar working to make this happen.

Speaker 1 (05:31):
Good. Well, I'm pleased to hear it. Luke, I'm lovely
to talk to you mate. Thank you very much for
your time and let's hope it all gets sorted sooner
rather than later. Thank you, Katie, thank you