A fizzer: Is this the end of Guy Fawkes night in New Zealand?

By RNZ

Palmerston North is the only city that has a free public display of fireworks on Guy Fawkes night, November 5 this year, and many other locations remove them entirely or hold paid events on other days during November.

Christchurch is the latest major New Zealand center to decide that it will no longer hold a fireworks display to mark Guy Fawkes Day. For the past 23 years, Christchurch City Council has held a public display on the day or, in recent years, the weekend closest to November 5.

Auckland City Council does not put on a Guy Fawkes fireworks show, and in 2017 Wellington dropped its Guy Fawkes show in favor of Matariki.

Christchurch City Council Arts and Events Director Tanya Cokojic said the council was planning the November fireworks display this year when the Covid-19 shutdown was underway, but, after consulting with the public, the decision was made to hold the fireworks event in July as a celebration of Matariki.

Cokojic said he feels Guy Fawkes is becoming increasingly irrelevant in New Zealand.

“New Zealand is now more ready to celebrate our own culture and have something that is unique to us. A lot of those large-scale fireworks events will move away from November 5 and no longer be known as Guy Fawkes and I think it identifies that we want something that belongs to us, and that is unique to us and our culture. “

He said the private use of fireworks in and around Guy Fawkes was a concern, but asked people to follow Fire and Emergency’s safety advice.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s national adviser for fire risk management Todd O’Donoghue said they would prefer people to attend public events rather than set up their own fireworks.

“Basically they are a safer way to view fireworks and you get better value for what you see. Unfortunately there have never been enough public displays for the entire country, they have always tended to be spotty in places and we are seeing a move by some councils to move their community-funded public displays to other times of the year. “

He said that with the free public exhibits, people might need to look further.

He said, for example, that those in Christchurch could go to Motukarara on November 7.

Palmerston North is a place where there will be a free fireworks display on Guy Fawkes Day.

Ian Roberts has been the Kairanga Lions Club fireworks display coordinator for the past 30 years, and for the past five years, they have organized a fireworks display for Palmerston North for the city council.

He said that based on past entries, there was certainly still interest in public fireworks displays.

“We have no way of counting the numbers, but the streets are blocked for about two hours afterwards and that we need a traffic management plan to handle the congestion indicates that many people will come to see it.

This year the council has reduced funding for the event from $ 20,000 to $ 15,000 and the Kairanga Lions Club is trying to fill the shortfall with a Givealittle page.

Roberts said safety is his number one priority, and it was obvious that public events were safer than holding multiple private events in people’s backyards.

He describes himself as a fan of fireworks, but said that he is not committed to keeping November the time of year for fireworks in New Zealand, and that he would be very happy to put on a fireworks show for Matariki.

“There really is no logic in having a celebration to commemorate a guy who tried to blow up the British Parliament in the umpteenth century.”

O’Donoghue has some tips for those who are determined to set up their own fireworks.

He recommends that people read the instructions with a torch beforehand, keep fireworks off in the original packaging until ready to light them, and that adults light them in a clear, open area away from anything that could catch fire.

He also recommends moistening the area with a hose beforehand and having a hose or bucket of water handy.