Fireworks to follow this summer’s Sunday

FIREWORKS are set to light up the sky this Sunday with the City of Ballarat’s annual display.

Starting at 9.30pm, the event will last around 15 minutes.

Public access to the area around the end of the rowing course is restricted from today until 11.59pm Sunday to allow the safe launch of the fireworks.

Lake Wendouree will also be closed for water activities from 10am to 11.59pm on Sunday.

“There’s many months, many hours that go into preparing a display of this size,” said fireworks operator Matt Batty.

“A lot is done on simulation so it’s really all done on computer and that’s the hard work there.”

It follows the second week of the Summer Sundays live concert series held in the Botanical Gardens.

Performing from 4pm will be The Pigs, Chikchika, Confetti Western and Rhiannon Simpson.

“It’s always one of those events that brings out the community to be at the foreshore of Lake Wendouree and enjoy the holidays,” said mayor Cr Des Hudson.

“People can enjoy a couple of hours of wonderful music in the garden and then wander across to the foreshore.”

The event is the City of Ballarat’s one annual fireworks display and Cr Hudson said following community feedback, there will be discussion about a potential change to New Years Eve fireworks.

“I think there is a reasonable discussion to be had by the councillor group and even while we’re in recess at the moment on the summer break, some of the discussions I have had with councillors have picked up on the theme of some of the concerns that were raised,” he said.

“It is an appropriate conversation for us to have into the new year whether 14th of January with Summer Sundays or a New Years Eve event is better situated and we will have that discussion when we resume.”