Wye River fireworks causing concern among locals

SOME residents of Wye River are calling for a total ban of sanctioned fireworks displays taking place on the beach of their town.

Wye River resident Dennis Staight said he and other locals were worried the “destructive” fireworks displays at private weddings as part of the Wye Beach Hotel’s wedding packages during the town’s fire restriction period posed a risk to the town’s habitat and wildlife.

“The fireworks take place roughly 50 metres in front of the Wye Beach Hotel’s balcony over the water and the fireworks themselves are massive,” Mr Staight said.

“They occur within a kilometre of the national park, and they reverberate, I estimate, five kilometres down the Wye River Valley, past my residence on the hill.

“They are huge sonic booms, and as one may know, we are home of the gang gang cockatoo, a threatened species, and there is an abundance of research available regarding the impact that these loud noises can have on native wildlife.”

A spokesperson from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action said fireworks could affect local wildlife.

“Fireworks have the potential to disturb, scare and displace animals.

“Whether or not frequent fireworks have a significant impact depends on any one species as well as on the sensitivity, value, and quality of the environment impacted.

“It will also depend upon the intensity, duration, magnitude, and geographic extent of the fireworks.”

Mr Staight and other Wye River residents first noticed the fireworks in December 2021, but the displays ended abruptly in March 2022 after the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority surpassed its quota of permits for the year.

In order for businesses to conduct any fire activities during the fire restriction period (which this season runs from December 24 to May 1), they must adequately meet the Country Fire Authority’s (CFA) requirements for a Section 14 permit.

The permit allows businesses or individuals to use fire in the open air to conduct their work and is a stringent process, according to CFA District 6 Assistant Chief Fire Officer Craig Brittain.

“There are a number of conditions that a business needs to fulfill to be successful in obtaining a Section 14 permit,” Mr Brittain said.

“The company with the permits is fully accountable for their actions once the permit is given and we look at the applications purely from a fire safety perspective.

“What needs to be understood is just because people apply for a Section 14 doesn’t automatically mean they get one approved.”