Kiama Councillor Yasmin Tatrai wants to make sure the New Year's Eve fireworks are reinstated in 2026 so she is spearheading a community-led petition and moving a motion at next month’s Council meeting to lock it in.

Cr Tatrai said the catalyst for the petition was a raft of local business owners telling her that they had suffered a negative downswing in trade on New Year’s Eve.

She took photos across the town centre and foreshore on New Year’s Eve which show unusually empty streets, low foot traffic and subdued trading conditions - a stark contrast to previous years when fireworks attracted huge numbers of families, visitors and overnight stays.

“It was sad. At seven o’clock on New Year’s Eve it was like a ghost town. It was disturbing,” she said, speaking as an individual Councillor not on behalf of Council.

“There was nothing to do in the LGA whatsoever on New Year’s Eve.

Cr Tatrai empathised with the plight of pet owners who say their dogs in particular experience stress from the fireworks but added that the noise only lasts for 15 minutes.

“We've all got to work together,” she said.

“It's about potentially 16,000 people in town enjoying a night together with their families in the community, going to all the venues, going to the cafes and restaurants.

“We are a tourism town but without tourism, business couldn’t survive. And then what? We've seen towns around Australia that don't get business, their towns close.”

Since the 2025 fireworks were officially cancelled in September due to the financial constraints of the state government’s performance improvement order, Mayor Cameron McDonald has reiterated that it would be a one-off.

Cr Tatrai will move a motion at the first monthly meeting of the new year in February for Council to commit to the Sky Show and to prepare a business case by June.

She wants Council to engage with the community on suitable locations and timing and to allocate funding and planning resources early, or explore cost-recovery options such as a ticketed or partially ticketed event.

“Fireworks are not just entertainment — they are a proven driver of tourism, hospitality spending and community connection.”

Cr Tatrai said successful community-run models already exist elsewhere, demonstrating that fireworks can be delivered safely and responsibly without placing undue strain on council budgets.

“Other towns have shown that with early planning, community partnerships and ticketed formats, fireworks can be both financially responsible and highly successful,” she added.

“We’re asking Council to work with the community — not remove events that bring people together and support local livelihoods.”

Her Change.org petition can be found here.

Fellow Kiama Councillor Erica Warren is also canvassing local opinion with a survey about how New Year’s Eve should be celebrated.

Cr Warren’s survey asks whether people would support “a more distributed model of New Year’s Eve celebrations across multiple locations in the Kiama LGA”.

She lists Gerringong, Jamberoo and Kiama Downs as other locations where celebrations could be held and asks how likely would people be to attend celebrations if they were held in multiple locations.

Cr Warren’s survey also asks for “new ideas or improvements for New Year’s Eve celebrations” and whether they should be funded by a ticket and business sponsorship system or Kiama Council via the ratepayers.

Her survey can be found here.