Key points
- Fireworks companies have been inundated by people trying to buy fireworks illegally ahead of New Year’s Eve.
- Emergency services have warned Victorians against using illegal fireworks, many which come from the Northern Territory.
- Nearly 170 people have been treated for fireworks-related injuries since July 2015, according to Monash University.
Licensed fireworks companies across the state are fending off people trying to buy fireworks illegally, as Victorians prepare to celebrate a big New Year’s Eve after two years of COVID-19 disruptions.
Jack Poletko, manager of fireworks company Airwize Pyrotechnic Displays, said he had been inundated by people without a permit attempting to purchase fireworks since November.
Emergency services are warning Victorians against the use of illegal fireworks during the New Years period.Credit:Getty Images
Despite legitimate companies like his – which supply pyrotechnics for special events – turning people away, illegal fireworks will always make their way into the wrong hands, he said.
“There are still people out there selling them out of the boot of their car,” Poletko said. “One time a year in the Northern Territory [people] can still buy them legally. People go up there and buy them and then bring them back [to Victoria] and sell them out of vans.
“The people who are doing it, they have no idea what they’re doing,” he said. “I’ve got burn scars from rockets from when I was a child. They’re just giving them to these people, and they don’t understand that this could kill you.”
It is offence for individuals to set off fireworks – which are classed as a type of explosive under the Dangerous Goods Act – in public without a council permit. Those who use illegal fireworks without appropriate licensing can face fines or prison.
Bruno Raffaele, owner of St Kilda’s Crack-a-Jack Fireworks, said he had received five calls and two in-person requests for fireworks from people without a permit on Thursday alone.
All such requests were denied, but Raffaele was concerned by the frequency of illegal fireworks ads on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, where they are sold under the guise of “entertainment” products.
If people continued to set off illegal fireworks, Raffaele said, WorkSafe would tighten regulations. “But that really just means the people who are doing it legally find it harder and harder to do shows.”
Licensed pyrotechnicians chalked up inappropriate firework use to a lack of awareness around regulations and safety risks, and breaches in the duty of care by those who offload dangerous materials via unregulated means for a quick buck.
Fireworks can still be bought legally once a year in the Northern Territory, and some of those sales end up in Victoria.Credit:Mark Kolbe
Seventeen people sought medical treatment for firework-related injuries last financial year, a slight increase on the previous year – prompting authorities to urge individuals against illegal use during the New Year period.
However, Monash University’s Victorian Injuries Surveillance Unit says the number of injuries has trended down since 2016/17.
Nearly 170 people have been treated for fireworks-related injuries since July 2015, according to the unit. Of these, nearly 80 per cent were male, and a quarter were aged between 20 and 24.
The head and hands were the most common areas of injury and most of those injured were in more densely populated areas around metropolitan Melbourne.
“Having fireworks in the hands of someone who is not licensed is a recipe for disaster,” said WorkSafe’s executive director of health and safety, Narelle Beer. “Anyone in possession of illegal fireworks is risking serious injury or death to themselves and those around them.”
The Country Fire Authority said firefighters were called out to fires sparked by illegal fireworks every year.
CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said due to the significant recent grass growth throughout the state – much of which is now rapidly drying out as the weather warms up – the risk of blazes is even higher.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said while they have additional resources around Victoria this New Year’s Eve, people should avoid unlicensed fireworks to allow emergency services to attend to those most in need.
“It’s tragic to think that we may again be called to people being badly hurt by being too close to illegal fireworks. Tragically we’ve seen deaths in the past. Illegal fireworks are not worth the risk.”
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