A ban on public sales and use of fireworks could be a step closer after a select committee backed animal welfare campaigners’ long-time call for its end.
The parliamentary Petitions Committee recommended the ban based on concerns regarding the impact on animal welfare and native wildlife, danger to life and property, and the number of related police callouts.
It’s the first time the committee has recommended a ban after 14 previous petitions failed, and the Government has 60 days to respond to its findings.
Three separate petitions from Animates NZ Holdings, Suzanne Cook and Raewyn Harrison showed public opinion on the private sale and use of fireworks had changed, with experts also overwhelmingly supporting a ban, committee member Greg Fleming told Newstalk ZB.
“The committee felt that we really didn’t have almost any choice but to recommend that given the weight of the evidence.”
The four-member committee was unanimous in its recommendation, but Fleming said he didn’t expect any change before this year’s election.
“I’d love to see it [be] something that’s given serious consideration in the next term of Parliament.”
As someone who grew up using fireworks, and later bought them for his own family backyard displays, he’d initially leaned against a ban, the National MP said.
But after hearing about the damage to animals, wider hazards and ongoing noise nuisance – especially to those living in built-up areas – he realised the use of fireworks by the public needed to be restricted to a few days a year, or banned altogether.
“We came to the conclusion the halfway measure is probably not the best one.”
Fear of fireworks was widespread among cats, dogs and horses – more than a quarter of horse owners had reported their animal being injured because of fireworks-induced panic, SPCA senior scientific officer Dr Alison Vaughan said.
There was “huge” public backing for a ban, with 95,000 signatures in support across the three petitions, and a recent SPCA survey found the majority of Kiwis also wanted public sales and use of fireworks to end, Vaughan told Newstalk ZB.
“Many people over the years have signed petitions and it has felt like Groundhog Day as each year we go through this process. But … being relentless can pay off. So thank you to petitioners, and everyone who signed.”
They were “absolutely thrilled” that “pet parents” and the wider community had been heard, petitioner and Animates’ manager Nathalie Moolenschot told Newstalk ZB.
As well as support from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, the SPCA, NZ Veterinary Association and Veterinarians for Animal Welfare, Animates collected more than 90,000 human signatures and 75,000 pet paw or hoof prints for the petition, the pet supplies retailer’s general manager of marketing and e-commerce said.
“We’re really looking forward to the next steps in the Government’s response,” Moolenschot said.
Environment Minister Nicola Grigg said she received the committee’s report yesterday.
A formal process, including Cabinet consideration, would follow.
It wasn’t appropriate for her to pre-empt the Government’s response, Grigg said.