Newcastle Celebrates the new year as fire at Charmhaven raised to emergency

Newcastle was one of 60 applications for fireworks exceptions that were approved by the NSWRFS and NSW FIRE AND RESCUE. The total number of applications was around 6000.

Newcastle Council CEO Jermery Bath said

“I don’t think there would be a single person anywhere in NSW, suffering from bushfires or from drought, who would want to deny someone living in Newcastle the opportunity to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a couple of fireworks.

Jermery Bath Newcastle City Council CEO

There has been an out pour of disgust from people on social media from those affected by bushfires, but there are also just as many who support the show going ahead. Fireworks have really divided the community.

Weather your for them or against them the show went on without incident and crowds were well behaved.

Around 2 thousand people lined the foreshore for the 9pm fireworks show, numbers were well down on previous years as many choose not to celebrate the new year with fireworks.

As the fireworks kicked off the fire on the Central Coast town of Charmhaven was raised emergency levels, Shane Fitzgibbons has just revealed structures have been lost but it’s unknown how many or weather they are houses, sheds or outbuilding, an impact assessment team will be assess the damage once a it’s safe to do.

3 people are now confirmed dead on the south coast and 1 person remains missing as fire has devastated community’s on the South Coast, More than 50 properties have been confirmed destroyed but this number will raise significantly over the coming days.