Council to review fireworks launch locations following New Year's Eve cancellation

Wollongong City Council media release: 5 January 2026

Wollongong City Council has initiated a review of its Belmore Basin fireworks launch location due to the sea swell and surge that required the cancellation of its much-loved New Year's Eve Fireworks. The review will include fresh risk assessments for different potential locations to host future fireworks displays.

On Wednesday (31 December) afternoon at approximately 4.30pm, in consultation with contractor Fireworks Australia, Council made the difficult decision to cancel the scheduled 9pm display due to a rapid increase in large ocean swells impacting fireworks launch points on the southern breakwall of Wollongong Harbour.

Shifting fireworks displays of this scale and complexity requires considerable planning and implementation – including changes to risk assessments, additional licence approvals from workcover and landowners, changes to staff tasking and crowd management.

On New Year’s Eve, an initial site assessment at 10.30am, deemed the show safe to proceed as scheduled with some minor adjustments to positioning of launch points and ongoing monitoring of conditions. A further assessment at 3pm noted some wave incursion over the breakwall, but the fireworks were still considered safe to proceed by the contractor.

A further assessment around 4pm noted conditions worsening and that swells were then predicted to increase leading up to the scheduled 9pm start-time. It was subsequently determined, after consultation with key stakeholders, that the fireworks could not be safely launched from their position on the breakwall.

The rapid change in conditions meant that the display could not be safely or legally relocated for the 9pm start, prompting the very difficult decision to cancel the planned fireworks.

Various assessments over several years have deemed the southern breakwall of Wollongong Harbour the optimal location in good weather for launching of fireworks displays, considering visual impact, accessibility, crowd safety and control factors, and proximity to accompanying events and facilities.

While it remains the preferred option, Council has previously carried out risk assessments on various other potential locations, including Flagstaff Hill, the northern break wall of Wollongong Harbour, and the potential use of an on-water barge within Belmore Basin.

Following the cancellation of the New Year's Eve fireworks, Council will review these potential locations to assess their feasibility as 'plan b' options in future.

The annual Australia Day fireworks display remains scheduled to take place at Wollongong Harbour on 26 January 2026. Council is working on a potential backup option, though it should be noted that outdoor events are always at the mercy of the weather and having an alternate firing point as a fallback option does not guarantee that fireworks will be able to proceed.

It is always our aim to provide an exciting and memorable experiences for our community, and we understand the disappointment and inconvenience caused by the decision to cancel the New Year’s Eve fireworks. However, community safety will always be our number one priority and this could not be guaranteed in the circumstances that arose on the night.