WEBVTT - Why the debate over fireworks gets louder every year 

0:00:05.440 --> 0:00:08.520
<v Speaker 1>Kyotra. I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page,

0:00:08.960 --> 0:00:16.160
<v Speaker 1>a daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. It's

0:00:16.239 --> 0:00:19.880
<v Speaker 1>that time of year again where we debate where the

0:00:19.960 --> 0:00:24.360
<v Speaker 1>New Zealanders should be allowed to let off fireworks fire

0:00:24.400 --> 0:00:28.000
<v Speaker 1>in emergency. New Zealand is among those opposed, saying they

0:00:28.080 --> 0:00:32.959
<v Speaker 1>know first hand how dangerous fireworks can be. Last year

0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:37.680
<v Speaker 1>was the worst year for fireworks related fires since twenty seventeen,

0:00:38.080 --> 0:00:43.199
<v Speaker 1>with one hundred and sixty six unwanted blazers. Fireworks sales

0:00:43.280 --> 0:00:46.240
<v Speaker 1>are restricted to a four day period from November two

0:00:46.479 --> 0:00:49.640
<v Speaker 1>to fifth each year, but there are growing calls for

0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:53.519
<v Speaker 1>that to be scrapped entirely. Later we'll chat to the

0:00:53.640 --> 0:00:58.160
<v Speaker 1>spca's Scientific Officer, Dr Allison Vaughan on how to protect

0:00:58.200 --> 0:01:01.800
<v Speaker 1>our animals from fireworks. But first on the front page,

0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:06.040
<v Speaker 1>bire an Emergency. New Zealand Readiness and Recovery National Manager

0:01:06.319 --> 0:01:16.080
<v Speaker 1>Adrian Nacy is with us. Adrian Fens has made a

0:01:16.160 --> 0:01:20.440
<v Speaker 1>submission supporting several petitions calling for a ban on the

0:01:20.480 --> 0:01:25.840
<v Speaker 1>public sale of fireworks. What prompted the agency to support.

0:01:25.319 --> 0:01:29.280
<v Speaker 2>This Yes, so the use of fireworks to the public

0:01:30.400 --> 0:01:33.880
<v Speaker 2>odds worth I guess Fire and Emergencies PRINCIPALITYTIVES, which is

0:01:33.920 --> 0:01:38.040
<v Speaker 2>to keep people, property and the environment safe from the

0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:42.319
<v Speaker 2>risk of unwanted fire. So we've got a few different

0:01:42.319 --> 0:01:45.120
<v Speaker 2>things we do to try and keep people safe from fire.

0:01:45.200 --> 0:01:48.760
<v Speaker 2>And putting further restrictions on the sale of fireworks to

0:01:48.800 --> 0:01:51.840
<v Speaker 2>the general public would help that, then we would absolutely

0:01:51.920 --> 0:01:52.440
<v Speaker 2>support it.

0:01:52.760 --> 0:01:56.440
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, how significant is the risk of fireworks related fire

0:01:56.440 --> 0:01:57.919
<v Speaker 1>has been in recent years?

0:01:58.280 --> 0:02:01.400
<v Speaker 2>Yes, so we get about one hundred and seventy fireworks

0:02:01.440 --> 0:02:05.680
<v Speaker 2>related callouts each year and these range from small fires

0:02:05.680 --> 0:02:07.840
<v Speaker 2>that are really easy for us to put out, fruit

0:02:07.920 --> 0:02:10.960
<v Speaker 2>fires that burned for several days, tying up our resources.

0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:14.400
<v Speaker 1>Now, do you have any examples of situations that perhaps

0:02:14.440 --> 0:02:15.680
<v Speaker 1>have gotten a bit out of hand.

0:02:16.320 --> 0:02:16.959
<v Speaker 3>We've got a couple.

0:02:17.160 --> 0:02:20.160
<v Speaker 2>We had a significant fire down in Pegasus in North

0:02:20.240 --> 0:02:24.040
<v Speaker 2>Canterbury on the second of November in twenty twenty two,

0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:27.400
<v Speaker 2>so that's the day that fireworks went on sale. So

0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:29.880
<v Speaker 2>fireworks we set off at the beach there and got

0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:33.520
<v Speaker 2>into the pine plantation and got out of control. So

0:02:33.560 --> 0:02:37.280
<v Speaker 2>that burned for around two hundred hectares of pine forest

0:02:37.960 --> 0:02:40.720
<v Speaker 2>and also some native regenerating forests.

0:02:40.720 --> 0:02:42.560
<v Speaker 3>Of the local community had planted.

0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:45.760
<v Speaker 2>We had to evacuate the community of wood End in

0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:49.359
<v Speaker 2>the middle of the night, putting people into evacuation centers,

0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:52.880
<v Speaker 2>evacuating people from the campground, and also a horse stud.

0:02:53.720 --> 0:02:56.639
<v Speaker 2>That fire took us about five days to put out.

0:02:56.680 --> 0:02:59.359
<v Speaker 2>We had it out eventually by about the seventh of November.

0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:02.000
<v Speaker 2>We're our crew could be released from that and at

0:03:02.040 --> 0:03:04.600
<v Speaker 2>one cost over four hundred thousand dollars for us to

0:03:05.040 --> 0:03:07.160
<v Speaker 2>deal with. And there's a big kind of what we

0:03:07.200 --> 0:03:09.919
<v Speaker 2>call a campaign fire. We've also had a couple of

0:03:10.120 --> 0:03:14.359
<v Speaker 2>pretty significant nights for fireworks incidents. We had a particularly

0:03:14.360 --> 0:03:16.959
<v Speaker 2>windy and hot years at the end of twenty twenty

0:03:16.960 --> 0:03:19.240
<v Speaker 2>two and in the middle of the night on years

0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:22.480
<v Speaker 2>at one point we were responding to fifteen fires that

0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:25.919
<v Speaker 2>I can see by fireworks at the same time, for communities,

0:03:26.000 --> 0:03:28.240
<v Speaker 2>that's not where they want our crews in the middle

0:03:28.280 --> 0:03:29.160
<v Speaker 2>of the night they want them.

0:03:29.160 --> 0:03:30.560
<v Speaker 3>They're responding where they need them.

0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:30.960
<v Speaker 2>No.

0:03:31.160 --> 0:03:34.480
<v Speaker 1>And I remember when I moved here from Australia. I

0:03:34.680 --> 0:03:37.960
<v Speaker 1>was and I saw the fireworks being sold on the

0:03:37.960 --> 0:03:39.920
<v Speaker 1>side of the road around this time of the year.

0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:44.200
<v Speaker 1>I was just like how and why, because obviously Australia

0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:47.560
<v Speaker 1>is like just a tinder box everywhere. So in my mind,

0:03:47.600 --> 0:03:50.880
<v Speaker 1>I think it's insane that there is a public sale

0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:54.000
<v Speaker 1>of fireworks. Why do you think there still is this

0:03:54.160 --> 0:03:57.080
<v Speaker 1>in New Zealand? Do you guys just like blowing stuff up?

0:03:57.320 --> 0:04:00.240
<v Speaker 2>Look, that's that's not for me to really comment. It's

0:04:00.280 --> 0:04:04.240
<v Speaker 2>like why they're still still being sold. We do see,

0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:07.200
<v Speaker 2>like at the end of November, where we are, at

0:04:07.200 --> 0:04:09.560
<v Speaker 2>the end of October, sorry, where we are at the moment.

0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:11.920
<v Speaker 2>We've already had some really significant fires in the last

0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:14.960
<v Speaker 2>couple of weeks, obviously not caused by fireworks, but it

0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:17.480
<v Speaker 2>does show that conditions and parts of the country are

0:04:17.560 --> 0:04:20.480
<v Speaker 2>right for these fires getting out of control and causing

0:04:20.520 --> 0:04:23.400
<v Speaker 2>some really significant damage to communities, which is what we're

0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:24.040
<v Speaker 2>trying to stop.

0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:25.240
<v Speaker 4>Right.

0:04:25.279 --> 0:04:28.680
<v Speaker 1>Do you think everyone who lets off fireworks does in

0:04:28.720 --> 0:04:30.640
<v Speaker 1>fact check the conditions first?

0:04:30.960 --> 0:04:33.200
<v Speaker 3>I don't think so, that's not what we see.

0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:35.800
<v Speaker 2>We see people setting them off when it's hot, dry

0:04:35.800 --> 0:04:39.080
<v Speaker 2>and windy, which is what we're trying to avoid. We've

0:04:39.080 --> 0:04:42.320
<v Speaker 2>got a really good website called chickens Right dot m Z.

0:04:43.160 --> 0:04:44.400
<v Speaker 2>You can go on there and you can get some

0:04:44.480 --> 0:04:48.320
<v Speaker 2>fire safety tips, not just for fireworks. Fires are looking

0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:50.760
<v Speaker 2>to light in the outdoors, but you can also check

0:04:50.839 --> 0:04:54.440
<v Speaker 2>both the fire danger and the fire weather, and you

0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:57.520
<v Speaker 2>can also look for any bands where you are at

0:04:57.520 --> 0:04:59.120
<v Speaker 2>that time or coming up in the future.

0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:00.839
<v Speaker 3>So that's chickens, right, Dot and Z.

0:05:01.520 --> 0:05:04.200
<v Speaker 2>We really are asking people to cheat the conditions if

0:05:04.240 --> 0:05:06.239
<v Speaker 2>they are planning to set off fireworks.

0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:10.680
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, does fans actually roster more people on nights, say

0:05:10.760 --> 0:05:13.680
<v Speaker 1>like guy fawks or New Year's orff something like that

0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:15.640
<v Speaker 1>for this exact reason.

0:05:16.440 --> 0:05:17.240
<v Speaker 3>It's a good question.

0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:20.719
<v Speaker 2>We maintain like a really constant state of readiness to

0:05:20.760 --> 0:05:24.760
<v Speaker 2>respond to whatever our communities need us for any day,

0:05:24.800 --> 0:05:26.320
<v Speaker 2>in any hour of the year. So we don't have

0:05:26.400 --> 0:05:30.800
<v Speaker 2>to roster people on over guy fawks on years. We

0:05:31.000 --> 0:05:32.440
<v Speaker 2>just respond to what we're required to.

0:05:32.880 --> 0:05:38.159
<v Speaker 1>So where can't people set off fireworks? Presumably the beach

0:05:38.279 --> 0:05:40.080
<v Speaker 1>given what happened down in Pegasus.

0:05:40.279 --> 0:05:40.880
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, the beaches.

0:05:40.960 --> 0:05:43.200
<v Speaker 2>So you do need the land owners permission to set

0:05:43.240 --> 0:05:45.840
<v Speaker 2>off fireworks, So on your own property, you know that

0:05:45.839 --> 0:05:48.919
<v Speaker 2>if there's no restriction in place, that's okay. Most of

0:05:48.960 --> 0:05:51.840
<v Speaker 2>the councils around the country have firework bands in place

0:05:51.920 --> 0:05:57.240
<v Speaker 2>for public areas like parks, beaches. Obviously, Department of Conservation

0:05:57.400 --> 0:06:00.120
<v Speaker 2>areas are an absolutely no go for setting off fireworks,

0:06:00.680 --> 0:06:03.440
<v Speaker 2>but you do need that landowner's permission, and certainly most

0:06:03.440 --> 0:06:06.599
<v Speaker 2>councils have banned fireworks we see off in public places

0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:07.120
<v Speaker 2>like parks.

0:06:07.279 --> 0:06:09.719
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I guess celebrating guy fawks with a barbecue and

0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:12.840
<v Speaker 1>some firecrackers is a long held tradition for many ki

0:06:12.920 --> 0:06:16.279
<v Speaker 1>We families. What are some other ways perhaps we could

0:06:16.320 --> 0:06:18.760
<v Speaker 1>celebrate if a band does come into effect? Do you think?

0:06:18.800 --> 0:06:21.000
<v Speaker 1>Have you seen so many good ideas from overseas?

0:06:21.279 --> 0:06:23.080
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, there's some great public displays.

0:06:23.360 --> 0:06:26.000
<v Speaker 2>I know here in Wellington the Speedway puts on a

0:06:26.000 --> 0:06:29.479
<v Speaker 2>pretty impressive fireworks display every year, and there's some really

0:06:29.480 --> 0:06:32.960
<v Speaker 2>great fundraising displays put on as well. So maybe got

0:06:32.960 --> 0:06:36.200
<v Speaker 2>opportunity to get and then support your community that way

0:06:36.520 --> 0:06:40.240
<v Speaker 2>and leaving the fireworks enhance the professionals is always our preference.

0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:43.200
<v Speaker 1>Yeah. Does fans actually work with councils and stuff on

0:06:43.279 --> 0:06:46.839
<v Speaker 1>those public fireworks displays to make sure it's all safe?

0:06:47.000 --> 0:06:47.320
<v Speaker 3>We do.

0:06:47.560 --> 0:06:49.680
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, there's a system that we go through to approve

0:06:50.080 --> 0:06:53.960
<v Speaker 2>what we call pyrotechnic displays. They're slightly different to your

0:06:54.000 --> 0:06:57.400
<v Speaker 2>retail fireworks, a bit more vergulan exciting, So we work

0:06:57.440 --> 0:06:59.120
<v Speaker 2>with the people that set those.

0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:02.360
<v Speaker 1>Off, sort of like a Metallica concert or something. I

0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:05.320
<v Speaker 1>assume that there's some pyrotechniques there. Do you consult them

0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:06.440
<v Speaker 1>as well?

0:07:06.760 --> 0:07:07.000
<v Speaker 3>We do.

0:07:07.320 --> 0:07:10.080
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we work with them and they often safety regulated,

0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:10.960
<v Speaker 2>work safe as well.

0:07:11.280 --> 0:07:14.080
<v Speaker 1>So obviously there's no ban in place yet. But what

0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:17.040
<v Speaker 1>are the precautions for people that they can ensure that

0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:19.200
<v Speaker 1>it's all safe and above board at home.

0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:22.840
<v Speaker 2>Yes, there's some good, basic common sense steps you can take.

0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:25.200
<v Speaker 2>So the first one is picking where you're going to

0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:28.040
<v Speaker 2>see your fireworks, So have them in a wide open

0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:31.080
<v Speaker 2>space away from anything that can catch fire, dry grass

0:07:31.160 --> 0:07:33.239
<v Speaker 2>trees in your house.

0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:35.680
<v Speaker 3>Have them pointing towards the sky.

0:07:35.680 --> 0:07:39.160
<v Speaker 2>I don't point them towards other people or animals or

0:07:39.160 --> 0:07:42.600
<v Speaker 2>anything that can can set fire. Make sure you've got

0:07:42.600 --> 0:07:45.960
<v Speaker 2>something to put them out or put fires out if

0:07:46.000 --> 0:07:47.880
<v Speaker 2>they do a curse. They have a garden hose or

0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:52.040
<v Speaker 2>a bucket nearby. Keep your kids, your kids or your

0:07:52.040 --> 0:07:55.200
<v Speaker 2>pets and your animals away. Be a good neighbor, have

0:07:55.240 --> 0:07:57.520
<v Speaker 2>a chat to your community if you're going to set

0:07:57.560 --> 0:08:01.120
<v Speaker 2>off fireworks. Some people can find them distressing, and animals

0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:02.240
<v Speaker 2>that they want to look after the same.

0:08:02.440 --> 0:08:04.280
<v Speaker 3>Chanty neighbors, and last thing.

0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:06.160
<v Speaker 2>Make sure they're out before you put them in the bin,

0:08:06.280 --> 0:08:08.360
<v Speaker 2>So check them in a bucket of water, let them

0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:10.440
<v Speaker 2>all cool down, then just post them.

0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:12.120
<v Speaker 1>Awesome. Thanks for joining us, Adrian.

0:08:13.120 --> 0:08:22.720
<v Speaker 5>All right, Chelsea, Yeah, I mean I think drone shows

0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:27.280
<v Speaker 5>are safer than fireworks. They're more environmentally friendly and they're

0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:30.000
<v Speaker 5>also quieter, so you your pets can watch, the vets

0:08:30.000 --> 0:08:36.120
<v Speaker 5>can watch without PTSD. My partner, Michelle, her husband, actually

0:08:36.200 --> 0:08:38.280
<v Speaker 5>is a veteran, and you know, she says that the

0:08:38.280 --> 0:08:40.520
<v Speaker 5>benefits of drones shows are just amazing for our vets,

0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:43.400
<v Speaker 5>you know, not to mention they're just way safer as

0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:46.560
<v Speaker 5>you're mentioning, as you're saying now. So I think that that,

0:08:46.720 --> 0:08:48.480
<v Speaker 5>combined with the fact that you can get the stunning

0:08:48.520 --> 0:08:52.440
<v Speaker 5>formations in the night sky, is really why you're seeing

0:08:52.440 --> 0:08:54.120
<v Speaker 5>the uptick in drone shoes.

0:08:56.280 --> 0:09:00.480
<v Speaker 1>So there are alternatives, and as we heard, drone shows

0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:05.040
<v Speaker 1>offer a safer, quieter option, and that's good news not

0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:08.960
<v Speaker 1>just for people, but for animals too. To talk about

0:09:09.000 --> 0:09:13.240
<v Speaker 1>the impact fireworks have on pets and wildlife, we're joined

0:09:13.280 --> 0:09:21.560
<v Speaker 1>by spca's Scientific Officer, doctor Allison Vaughan. So, Allison, it'll

0:09:21.600 --> 0:09:26.240
<v Speaker 1>come as no surprise to anyone that animals aren't huge

0:09:26.280 --> 0:09:28.600
<v Speaker 1>fans of fireworks, and I guess that would make it

0:09:28.640 --> 0:09:31.680
<v Speaker 1>a very busy time of year for the SPCA.

0:09:31.760 --> 0:09:35.120
<v Speaker 4>Hey yeah, Well, we know that from surveys in New

0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:37.800
<v Speaker 4>Zealand that up to seventy five percent of cats and

0:09:37.840 --> 0:09:42.600
<v Speaker 4>dogs are frightened of fireworks, and also other animals like horses,

0:09:42.600 --> 0:09:46.199
<v Speaker 4>can not only be frightened, but often quite often seriously injured.

0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:48.600
<v Speaker 4>When we think of the likes of that poor horse

0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:53.160
<v Speaker 4>Remy last year, this can have very serious consequences, so

0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:57.240
<v Speaker 4>we're definitely not fans of it. Typically we don't see

0:09:57.280 --> 0:10:00.679
<v Speaker 4>too many animals coming in necessarily beause most people take

0:10:00.720 --> 0:10:02.440
<v Speaker 4>them to their vets if they're injured. But we do

0:10:02.520 --> 0:10:05.400
<v Speaker 4>know there are a lot more lost animals because often

0:10:05.440 --> 0:10:08.360
<v Speaker 4>they panic and run off and it could be really

0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:10.439
<v Speaker 4>challenging for people to get their animals back home.

0:10:11.200 --> 0:10:13.240
<v Speaker 1>What happened to Remy the horse last year?

0:10:13.679 --> 0:10:17.520
<v Speaker 4>So last year, very sadly the Remy, a Thoroughbred horse,

0:10:17.600 --> 0:10:20.120
<v Speaker 4>became entangled in a fence as a result of panicking

0:10:20.200 --> 0:10:22.920
<v Speaker 4>due to fireworks and had to be euthanized. And this

0:10:22.960 --> 0:10:26.040
<v Speaker 4>is something that actually a New Zealand study found that

0:10:26.040 --> 0:10:28.800
<v Speaker 4>twenty six percent of horse owners reported their animals being

0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:32.079
<v Speaker 4>injured due to panic caused by fireworks. So it's very

0:10:32.120 --> 0:10:33.600
<v Speaker 4>serious consequences we're seeing.

0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:37.160
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, do you have any data or examples, I suppose

0:10:37.200 --> 0:10:40.679
<v Speaker 1>in recent years that show how wide spread these incidents are.

0:10:41.000 --> 0:10:43.280
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, So, as I said, that was twenty six percent

0:10:43.320 --> 0:10:46.200
<v Speaker 4>of horse owners who said that their animals had been

0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:48.839
<v Speaker 4>injured as a result. In terms of animals that are

0:10:50.160 --> 0:10:52.360
<v Speaker 4>that had collisions and things with fences, we're looking at

0:10:52.400 --> 0:10:55.720
<v Speaker 4>like thirty five percent. So this is a very common

0:10:55.840 --> 0:11:01.240
<v Speaker 4>and very predictable but also very avoidable suffering for animals.

0:11:02.040 --> 0:11:04.520
<v Speaker 1>And it's not just the injuries of course as well.

0:11:04.559 --> 0:11:07.840
<v Speaker 1>The noise alone can distress animals a lot, but that

0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:11.000
<v Speaker 1>can make it pretty hard for us to comprehend what

0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:13.560
<v Speaker 1>they're going through. I can only imagine, you know, them

0:11:13.720 --> 0:11:16.160
<v Speaker 1>looking up at the sky and thinking that the world's

0:11:16.160 --> 0:11:17.880
<v Speaker 1>going to cave in on them because they're like, what

0:11:18.080 --> 0:11:21.599
<v Speaker 1>is this sound? Is there any human experience that's comparable

0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:24.400
<v Speaker 1>I suppose to what animals might be experienced.

0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:26.720
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, well, I suppose we do. Know some people are

0:11:26.760 --> 0:11:29.920
<v Speaker 4>also impacted by fireworks and find it very traumatic. So

0:11:29.960 --> 0:11:31.719
<v Speaker 4>I think we don't have to reach too far to

0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:34.480
<v Speaker 4>try and understand what they might be going through. And

0:11:34.520 --> 0:11:37.320
<v Speaker 4>a big part of the issue is we're often told

0:11:37.320 --> 0:11:39.319
<v Speaker 4>what it's one night, or it's you know, they're only

0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:41.920
<v Speaker 4>on sale for four days. The reality is people can

0:11:41.920 --> 0:11:44.240
<v Speaker 4>stock while fireworks and let them off any day at night,

0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:46.719
<v Speaker 4>and that makes it so hard for pet owners to

0:11:46.760 --> 0:11:47.840
<v Speaker 4>keep their animals safe.

0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:51.320
<v Speaker 1>How can pet owners keep their animals safe?

0:11:51.880 --> 0:11:55.800
<v Speaker 4>That is such a great question. It's really important that

0:11:55.920 --> 0:11:58.199
<v Speaker 4>we know while people can let them off at anytime,

0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:00.560
<v Speaker 4>most people will be letting them off after diark, So

0:12:00.679 --> 0:12:03.480
<v Speaker 4>make sure you're exercising your dogs earlier than usual, getting

0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:06.520
<v Speaker 4>them inside the house so safe and secured. Same with

0:12:06.559 --> 0:12:08.199
<v Speaker 4>your cats. Make sure if they are allowed to go

0:12:08.240 --> 0:12:12.160
<v Speaker 4>outside in roam, that they're safely contained before the fireworks start.

0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:14.720
<v Speaker 4>And then there's things you can do in the home

0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:18.000
<v Speaker 4>to muffle the noise. For example, last year, we collaborated

0:12:18.000 --> 0:12:20.199
<v Speaker 4>for the first time with ourn Z Concert to put

0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:23.400
<v Speaker 4>on a concert for animals with soothing music for pets

0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:25.840
<v Speaker 4>and their owners, and we'll be doing that again this year,

0:12:26.160 --> 0:12:28.560
<v Speaker 4>and that can help just hide some of them, muffle

0:12:28.559 --> 0:12:30.760
<v Speaker 4>some of the noises, but also help soothe ah.

0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:32.800
<v Speaker 1>That's a really good idea. I'm going to check it

0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:35.160
<v Speaker 1>on from my cat April. I mean, even the thunder

0:12:35.200 --> 0:12:38.320
<v Speaker 1>and lightning the other week in Auckland got her going.

0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:41.120
<v Speaker 1>So giving them that so that you just kind of

0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:42.800
<v Speaker 1>need to give them because you wish that you can

0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:45.840
<v Speaker 1>explain what's happening to them, right, you know, she's so

0:12:46.280 --> 0:12:49.560
<v Speaker 1>and she's trying to protect me from the thunder and

0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:52.160
<v Speaker 1>lend the loud noises and you just kind of want

0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:54.760
<v Speaker 1>to be like, I'm so sorry. So giving them kind

0:12:54.800 --> 0:13:00.160
<v Speaker 1>of another avenue to look at or listen to a

0:13:00.200 --> 0:13:00.680
<v Speaker 1>good idea.

0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:03.360
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, and making sure you're home. I mean, I would

0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:05.120
<v Speaker 4>say that's one of the most important things, to make

0:13:05.120 --> 0:13:08.800
<v Speaker 4>sure they don't hurt themselves due to panic. We know

0:13:08.960 --> 0:13:11.160
<v Speaker 4>a lot of New Zealands really care about this issue,

0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:13.440
<v Speaker 4>and you'll be aware of the petitions currently before the

0:13:13.440 --> 0:13:17.199
<v Speaker 4>Select Committee. That has been we get petitions for fireworks

0:13:17.320 --> 0:13:20.240
<v Speaker 4>very often sadly without concrete action, but this has been

0:13:20.280 --> 0:13:22.960
<v Speaker 4>the highest number of signatures we've seen yet. And we'll

0:13:22.960 --> 0:13:25.360
<v Speaker 4>actually be traveling down Dwelling to next week to present

0:13:25.440 --> 0:13:27.600
<v Speaker 4>the sect Committee to try and get an end to

0:13:27.600 --> 0:13:29.760
<v Speaker 4>this madness. We can't keep doing this.

0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:36.120
<v Speaker 1>Why do you think there's still for sale in New Zealand.

0:13:36.720 --> 0:13:38.400
<v Speaker 4>That is a very good question. So to be clear

0:13:38.400 --> 0:13:42.800
<v Speaker 4>that New Zealand doesn't have an issue with notified public displays,

0:13:43.280 --> 0:13:46.040
<v Speaker 4>so where the communities can come together and enjoy fireworks.

0:13:46.840 --> 0:13:49.920
<v Speaker 4>What we have a problem with is the retail sales.

0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:53.480
<v Speaker 4>So we're the private sale and use of these fireworks

0:13:53.520 --> 0:13:57.760
<v Speaker 4>where anyone can decide to let off explosives at any

0:13:57.840 --> 0:14:00.600
<v Speaker 4>time of day or night on any given day, and

0:14:00.600 --> 0:14:02.800
<v Speaker 4>that's a real issue. So that's what we want to

0:14:02.800 --> 0:14:03.520
<v Speaker 4>see addressed.

0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:07.920
<v Speaker 1>What should someone do if because it's not only domesticated

0:14:07.960 --> 0:14:11.160
<v Speaker 1>pets and animals. Hey, you've got the horses obviously we've

0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:14.680
<v Speaker 1>spoken about, but also wildlife. What should someone do if

0:14:14.920 --> 0:14:18.920
<v Speaker 1>you see an injured bird or wildlife?

0:14:19.160 --> 0:14:21.640
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, and this is we often see an empathize with

0:14:21.680 --> 0:14:23.040
<v Speaker 4>their own animals in the home and it can be

0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:26.280
<v Speaker 4>really distressing. But I'm from the UK, where a guy

0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:29.360
<v Speaker 4>fox is in the autumn. Here in New Zealand it

0:14:29.400 --> 0:14:32.960
<v Speaker 4>is in the spring when our vulnerable native birds are breeding.

0:14:33.240 --> 0:14:34.720
<v Speaker 4>Some of them are sitting on the nests, some of

0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:37.360
<v Speaker 4>them have young, and there's really good scientific evidence to

0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:41.560
<v Speaker 4>show that fireworks can actually cause big disruptions to the

0:14:41.560 --> 0:14:46.320
<v Speaker 4>behavior of these birds can also cause nest abandonment, disrupt feeding,

0:14:47.000 --> 0:14:49.040
<v Speaker 4>and sadly there's not a lot we can do to

0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:51.640
<v Speaker 4>protect them while we have our current rules in place.

0:14:52.280 --> 0:14:56.240
<v Speaker 1>Would tighter regulation rather than a full band be acceptable

0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:57.840
<v Speaker 1>or would it even work?

0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:00.680
<v Speaker 4>I suppose what we're looking for is thing that's a

0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:06.240
<v Speaker 4>practical compromise, which is allowing notified licensed public displays. We

0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:09.360
<v Speaker 4>think that allows people the fun and enjoyment whilst also

0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:13.200
<v Speaker 4>minimizing the harms, rather than we're not pushing for an

0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:15.800
<v Speaker 4>outright ban on all fireworks, although we have seen several

0:15:15.840 --> 0:15:20.520
<v Speaker 4>councils adopt alternatives, so drone shows, laser shows, which can

0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:24.320
<v Speaker 4>be really a great alternative without the negative side effects.

0:15:24.960 --> 0:15:28.240
<v Speaker 1>And so obviously this isn't a new conversation. We have

0:15:28.360 --> 0:15:32.480
<v Speaker 1>this conversation essentially every year around this time when they're

0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:37.000
<v Speaker 1>out for public sale. What do you think needs to

0:15:37.160 --> 0:15:41.000
<v Speaker 1>happen for this to go ahead or for the public

0:15:41.120 --> 0:15:44.600
<v Speaker 1>sale band to go ahead? Or do you think we're

0:15:44.600 --> 0:15:45.520
<v Speaker 1>getting quite close?

0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:52.040
<v Speaker 4>Well, it's interesting because Minister Greg Fleming, who received the petition,

0:15:52.600 --> 0:15:55.960
<v Speaker 4>he actually said that perhaps we were approaching a tipping point.

0:15:56.320 --> 0:15:58.720
<v Speaker 4>But I have to say, the scientific evidence on the

0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:02.800
<v Speaker 4>harms incredibly robust. It's not just animal welfare. We've also

0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:06.600
<v Speaker 4>got police and foreign emergency also pushing for a ban.

0:16:08.240 --> 0:16:12.480
<v Speaker 4>We know that actually there are great alternatives that would

0:16:12.480 --> 0:16:15.200
<v Speaker 4>allow people the same enjoyment. We know that this is

0:16:15.240 --> 0:16:17.920
<v Speaker 4>the most people that have ever signed petitions calling for

0:16:17.960 --> 0:16:21.160
<v Speaker 4>a ban. I'd kind of ask, what more can it

0:16:21.240 --> 0:16:26.040
<v Speaker 4>possibly take before we finally see some proper action on this,

0:16:26.240 --> 0:16:29.000
<v Speaker 4>because the status call cannot be allowed to continue.

0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:31.240
<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much for joining us, Allison.

0:16:32.360 --> 0:16:33.960
<v Speaker 4>That's quite a right great chat.

0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:34.360
<v Speaker 3>Thank you.

0:16:39.000 --> 0:16:42.200
<v Speaker 1>That's it for this episode of the Front Page. You

0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:46.120
<v Speaker 1>can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage

0:16:46.160 --> 0:16:50.240
<v Speaker 1>at nzherld dot co dot nz. The Front Page is

0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:53.720
<v Speaker 1>produced by Jane Ye and Richard Martin, who is also

0:16:53.920 --> 0:16:58.400
<v Speaker 1>our editor. I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to the Front Page

0:16:58.440 --> 0:17:02.080
<v Speaker 1>on iHeartRadio or where you get your podcasts, and tune

0:17:02.080 --> 0:17:05.120
<v Speaker 1>in tomorrow for another look behind the headlines.