Wagga mayor Greg Conkey says the council will not put on a New Year's Eve fireworks display as it will still present a risk to the community.
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It comes in response to some residents calling for Wagga City Council to end the year with a fireworks display instead of cancelling the entire New Year's Eve celebrations all together.
The reason behind the latest blow to Wagga's events calendar was said to be made in the interest of public safety and keeping in line with restrictions on gatherings due to the global pandemic.
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According to NSW Health, most restrictions in place to protect the community from COVID-19 relates to premises and not specific events.
The spokesperson said exemptions could be granted to capacity limits, on a case-by-case basis, where event organisers could demonstrate that they were able to manage the public health risk of larger numbers.
However, Cr Conkey said these events require months of planning. Even if the council proceeds with a fireworks display, he said they will still need to organise social distancing measures to ensure attendees abide by the rules.
"Our number one priority is the safety of the community and while there is a ban on large mass gatherings, we will comply with the rules and regulations," he said.