31 October 2018

The Green Party has written to the Environment select committee asking for it to consult the public on banning the private sale and use of fireworks.

“Fireworks cause hundreds of accidents each year, start fires and cause distress and sometimes injuries to animals. It’s time for private sales to fizzle out and be replaced by safer, better, public displays”, Green Party spokesperson for animal welfare Gareth Hughes said today.

“Public displays, ideally in winter around Matariki eliminate much of the risk to humans, fire officers and animals. Public displays are fantastic and remind us what fireworks should be like.

“Fireworks can currently be bought for a four day period by anybody over the age of 18. However we seem them used at all times of the year causing nuisance and increased fire and animal safety risk, especially over summer.

“The Government Administration Select Committee didn’t recommend a ban in their 2015 response to a petition signed by 25,000 people but since then we’ve seen the growth of pop-up shops, more animals harmed, people injured and countless fires started. In 2016 alone there were 518 claims made to ACC for fireworks-related injuries.

“If there isn’t the political support for a ban of sale and use, Parliament should consider limiting their use to a defined time period as occurs in many countries.

“The sale of fireworks is illegal in every Australian state except for the Northern Territory and Tasmania where it is tightly regulated”.

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