New Year’s fireworks set despite blazes, leader says
PERTH, Australia — Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks will go ahead despite the wildfire crisis to show the world Australia’s resiliency, the prime minister said, while authorities on Sunday braced for conditions to deteriorate with high temperatures.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison also announced financial support for some volunteer firefighters in New South Wales, the state worst hit by wildfires ravaging the nation.
“The world looks at Sydney every single year and they look at our vibrancy, they look at our passion, they look at our success,” he said. “In the midst of the challenges that we face, subject to the safety considerations, I can think of no better time to express to the world just how optimistic and positive we are as a country.”
The City of Sydney Council gave the green light although fire authorities warned that the fireworks could be canceled if catastrophic conditions are declared.
Morrison said that eligible volunteer firefighters will receive 300 Australian dollars ($209) a day, up to $6,000 in total, if called out to battle blazes for more than 10 days. The compensation focused on people who are selfemployed or work for small and medium businesses.
“The early and prolonged nature of this fire season has made a call beyond what is typically made on our volunteer firefighters,” he said.
Morrison said the compensation was necessary so that the New South Wales fires commissioner is in a position to continue to call out the volunteer force.
Wildfires have also flared in Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.
New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, has received the brunt of the wildfire catastrophe, which has killed nine people nationwide and razed more than 1,000 homes in the past few months.