FIREWORKS INVESTIGATION STUDY - City of Adelaide
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FIREWORKS INVESTIGATION STUDY January 2020
FIREWORKS INVESTIGATION STUDY
Introduction
This Fireworks Investigation Study outlines the research that has been conducted regarding
alternatives to fireworks at Council’s NYE event. The study outlines key elements including the
challenges and benefits with using fireworks, environmental impacts and the options regarding
alternatives to fireworks. As part of alternative options presented, the study provides high level
indicative costings which has been informed by consultation with several audio-visual companies both
locally and around Australia. A risk assessment has also been provided regarding the proposition of
cancelling fireworks at Council’s New Year’s Eve event.
Fireworks and the environment
Council has committed to be the first carbon neutral City. The 2016-2020 Strategic Plan sets out a
vision that by 2020, Council’s NYE event will minimise waste to landfill. Over 2018 and 2019, several
new initiatives were put in place to support a more environmentally sustainable NYE event. Some of
these initiatives include but are not limited to:
• Ban on single use plastic straws.
• Requirement for all food packaging supplied by vendors to be compostable.
• Stronger focus on artists and patrons bringing their own bottle for water refilling.
• Changes in the types and layout of waste services.
• The use of Council volunteers to assist patrons with disposing of waste correctly and
promoting our sustainability messages.
A case study of the City of Sydney fireworks at their 2015 event undertaken by Pangolin Associates
revealed that fireworks emissions were 11.8% of the overall total event emissions, whilst other
contributors with higher emissions included catering, food and meat (25.10% of the total emissions)
and employee computing, business flights and contractor transport (22% of the total event emissions).
In 2019, the quantity of the CoA NYE fireworks was approximately 2.2. tonnes total gross. This is
equivalent to approximately 6.8 petrol passenger vehicles on the road each year. Based on this, it can
be argued that the impact on the environment from firework emissions at the NYE event is minimal
compared to the overall Corporation’s greenhouse gas emissions. However, fireworks have the
potential to contribute to other environmental issues. This is further detailed in paragraph 16 below.
Fireworks- advantages and challenges
There several advantages and challenges associated with fireworks. At a high level these are
summarised in the below table:
Advantages Challenges
Fireworks can work very well in conjunction with Fireworks can be distressing on nearby fauna
other lighting displays, particularly with the which can result in animals escaping and
smoke that fireworks produce. related injuries.
Fireworks are the reason why many people Fireworks have an impact on air quality due to
choose to attend events. Anecdotally we are smoke and particulate matter being left in the
aware that the fireworks are one of the main air. Chemicals are also released during
reasons why families choose to attend Council’s fireworks which can affect air, water and soil
NYE event. quality.
Similarly, metallic compounds from fireworks
can fall into water ways which can have public
health implications.
Fireworks can often be viewed from many When used under unsafe conditions, fireworks
different locations making them accessible and have the potential to ignite fires.
viewable for a large audience that is positioned
over a large area.
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FIREWORKS INVESTIGATION STUDY
Advantages Challenges
Some research suggest that fireworks are value Many people view fireworks as something of the
for money with the spectacular effects that they past and that we should look to modern and
can produce. more sustainable technology as an alternative.
The recent bushfires and move towards more
sustainable events have contributed to some
change in community expectations in relation to
events in the City.
With their height, noise and multitudes of colour, They present a risk of causing spot fires.
fireworks deliver a spectacular effect.
Alternatives to fireworks
As part of our research, we have identified several alternatives to fireworks. These include:
• Laser light displays- a display that uses projected laser beams set to music or to accompany
another form of entertainment, typically music performances. For maximum effect, lasers
should project onto something for the light to be seen (i.e. smoke, building, water, mist and
rain).
• Drone light show- controlled by a computer on the ground, hundreds of little drones are filled
with lights and sent into the sky to produce a show. Can be made to create anything from flags
to people and other creative designs.
• Water projection screens- using special pumps, images are projected on a screen consisting
of finely atomised water.
• Light show- theatrical lights used to light and accentuate an area to create and enhance mood
and atmosphere. Various colours, directions and positions are used to create effect. The lights
may be still / static or move.
The below table provides a high-level summary of the advantages and challenges associated with
each of the above alternatives.
Alternative Advantages Challenges
Laser light show There is infrastructure The air quality of Adelaide could
surrounding Elder Park and compromise effect. For maximum effect,
Pinky Flat which could be used laser light requires a backdrop of air quality
as a projection point for a laser which is humid and has the right elements
show. By further using of pollution.
surrounding infrastructure, this
could help to expand the event There are challenges with visibility. People
site and spread out the crowd. in front of the display will have the best
view whilst those ‘behind’ may have
There are no chemicals or challenges with viewing.
debris left.
They are a more costly alternative to
They are silent in nature which fireworks. As an example, a $75k laser
minimises distress on local show would not have the same impact as
wildlife. this amount that is ordinarily spent on
fireworks.
If used in conjunction with
fireworks, the smoke from the
fireworks could assist the laser
light in having maximum
impact and effect.
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FIREWORKS INVESTIGATION STUDY
Alternative Advantages Challenges
Drone light display They do not produce air and They are highly susceptible to wind. As
noise pollution. such, they cannot take place during rain or
They can easily be controlled strong winds.
by one computer. They need to be managed safely to
mitigate risks of blindness if laser light
A level of detail can be beams into a human eye
achieved with laser that is not
necessarily possible with Some suggest that the effects are not the
fireworks. same as fireworks.
Limitless colour combinations They are very costly, although market
and many possibilities. trends show that the costs of drone
displays have decreased compared with
There are no chemicals or previous years and is likely to further
debris left. Many of them are decrease as the demand for this
lightweight which reduces risk technology increases.
if they were to fall on
someone. Some smaller drones have limited battery
life and therefore can last only for a short
Many consider them as a new time in the sky.
form of storytelling.
There are limitations in the market in
There is an opportunity for relation to companies in Adelaide or
CoA to support the Australia with the capability to deliver this in
development of a new market. the context of a NYE event.
Water screen Multiple points on the River Wind conditions can have an impact on the
projection Torrens could be utilised as quality of this medium. During strong winds,
part of a water projection images on the screen can become
display. In the context of NYE, distorted or fuzzy to the eye.
this could help to more widely
spread out the large audience Visibility needs to be considered. Double
over a greater area. screens would need to be installed if
viewing from both sides of the screen is
Research suggests that they required.
can be good value for money
due to their impact. High winds can cause water from the
screen to travel and spray nearby people.
Low impact on the Water quality issues would therefore need
environment. to be considered if using this technology.
Have an ability to tell stories
using content on the water
projection screens.
Extremely visual.
Light show On their own, they are a They can lack the spectacular effect.
cheaper alternative. Consideration needs to be made regarding
They are relatively safe. how many lights are utilised in order to
make the desired impact.
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Benchmarking
Alternatives to fireworks have been used by other Councils and authorities both in Adelaide, around
Australia and internationally. Some of these examples are summarised below and some images have
been provided. For further image examples, please refer here (refer link 1).
Area Description and considerations
City of Sydney For their NYE 2019 event, City of Sydney was granted a total fire ban
exemption and continued with fireworks but delayed 9pm fireworks by 15
mins due to wind conditions.
The event also incorporated lighting effects over the Sydney Harbour
Bridge in conjunction with the fireworks. The Sydney Harbour Bridge
shone the brightest in the southern Hemisphere as a result of the lighting
effects.
The fireworks display was 100% carbon neutral with the professional
grade fireworks being made from biodegradable paper, leaving no
compounds or chemicals in the air. For any residual pollution from the
fireworks display, the City purchases carbon offsets.
Kiama Council For their 2019 event, a 9pm fireworks & laser combined show was
delivered. The laser introduced the fireworks and for a short time, the laser
and fireworks interplayed with each other. The laser was projected to
water and the sky for maximum effect. Smoke machines were used to
create the needed effect for the laser. Additionally, the natural harbour
topography of the area assisted with the effects of the laser. The above
approach has been put in place for the last three years. Initially, many
event patrons did not particularly enjoy the use of the laser. However,
popularity for this alternative approach is gaining momentum.
Westfield Miranda The planned midnight fireworks for their 2019 event were changed to a
laser light show. The laser light show was later cancelled due to weather
conditions.
City of Brisbane For their 2019 NYE event, there were fireworks displayed at 8:30pm,
followed by another display at midnight. A light display also accompanied
the fireworks.
Shanghai, China In Shanghai in 2019, to welcome in the new year, almost 2,000 drones
flew in formation over the city, with the event being widely covered by
global media. The drones formed various patterns ranging from the earth
to a dragon. At around midnight, the drones gathered for become a
running man.
Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Festival used the fountain and laser light (single beam only) as
2015- Elder Park part of their production in Elder Park in 2015. There were some visibility
challenges with this relating to the fact that only people in a certain area
(i.e. in the front of the display) were able to see the display.
Big Bash League, For the first time, the activation associated with the Big Bash League in
2019- Adelaide Oval 2019, was only technical without any use of performers. It involved a video
story piece linking SpongeBob Square Pants and cricket and was synced
to audio, projection, lighting and pyrotechnics.
Hybrid World Over four nights, this event involved the use of one water screen and one
Adelaide, 2018 projector over the River Torrens.
River Torrens
Yabarra- Gathering of Yabarra- Gathering of Light was an immersive Kaurna storytelling
Light 2019 experience involving large –scale light, water projections and sound
River Torrens artwork along the River Torrens.
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Image above: Laser Light Show, Kiama Council, 2019
Image above: Adelaide Festival 2015, Elder Park
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Image above: Big Bash League, Adelaide Oval 2019
Image above: Yabarra Opening Night, 2019
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Firework alternatives- costs
At a high level, costs for alternatives to fireworks such as laser, drones, water projections indicatively
start at a minimum of $100,000 and can extend to well beyond $500,000.
Research has commenced with our supply partners and other companies which supply services within
Australia and internationally, regarding alternative productions for programming of NYE. Three
indicative proposals have been supplied. These are provided below.
Proposal Brief description Indicative costs
A This proposal may include a combination and $100,000 for a 10-15 min
interplay of laser light displays, a light show and show (including two water
water projections all interacting with each other screens, around 60 moving
above and around the River Torrens. Indicative lights and 4 laser beams).
costs are $100,000 for a 10-15-minute show
programme. $250,000 for a more
advanced show (4 water
projection screens, around
100 moving lights and 10
laser beams).
In both scenarios, the show
could be played more than
once for minimal/no extra
cost as the infrastructure is
already in place.
B Option 1 which would encompass the Elder Park $250,000-$300,000
zone only and include water screens, lasers,
moving lights, laser animation show,
synchronisation and other.
$450,000-$550,000
Option 2 which would encompass Elder park to
the Montefiore Bridge Zone including laser, water
jet fountains, flames, water screens, lights and all
associated costings. $120,000
Optional extra- a fully choreographed drone
show with 120 drones displaying messages,
visuals and entertainment during and/or prior to This cost to be determined
the show programme
A further optional extra is a water jet show
providing choreographed live performances to
integrate with show content.
Refer video link to view a proposal by Proponent
B showing what could be possible at NYE 2020-
https://current.laservision.com.au/dl/T7Iqdz7G9F
C This would include an immersive performance $300,000- $500,000.
using moving sounds throughout the event site,
laser lights and moving light show. It would also
include the use of multiple giant fountains that
would pop up in different locations through the
River Torrens.
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