Hundreds of thousands urge Sydney to scrap ‘insulting’ fireworks display amid ongoing wildfires

Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks will go ahead despite a petition signed by more than a quarter of a million people calling for them to be scrapped and the money spent instead on fighting the wildfire crisis.

The display would show the world Australia’s resiliency, the prime minister, Scott Morrison, said as he announced financial support for volunteer firefighters in New South Wales.

“The world looks at Sydney every single year and they look at our vibrancy, they look at our passion, they look at our success,” he said.

“In the midst of the challenges that we face, subject to the safety considerations, I can think of no better time to express to the world just how optimistic and positive we are as a country.”

The City of Sydney Council gave the green light to the fireworks, though fire authorities warned the display could be cancelled if catastrophic conditions are declared.

Last year, the city spent $5.8m (£3m) on fireworks, the Change.org petition said.

“All states should say no to fireworks,” Linda McCormick, who set up the page, wrote as she warned the displays “may traumatise some people as there is enough smoke in the air”.

One person who signed the petition said the display was “an insult to those who have lost everything” in the bushfires.

However, Sydney’s lord mayor, Clover Moore, responded to the petition confirming the fireworks display would happen.

“I know this isn’t exactly what you would like to be hearing from me but we can’t cancel the fireworks and, even if we could, doing so would have little practical benefit,” she wrote.

Tens of thousands of residents and holidaymarkers have been urged to leave the state of Victoria on Sunday, ahead of what is expected to be a day of extreme fire danger.

Authorities said temperatures of more than 40C, strong winds, thunderstorms and a wind change moving across the state meant Monday would be one of the most significant fire weather days in Victoria’s history.

Andrew Crisp, the state emergency management commissioner, told those in the East Gippsland region to leave no later than Monday morning.

“What we are saying now, based on the conditions that will be confronting us tomorrow across the state but in particular in East Gippsland, is that if you’re holidaying in that part of the state, it’s time that you left,” Mr Crisp said.

“We are asking you to now leave East Gippsland from that area east of Bairnsdale,” Mr Crisp said, referring to a city 280km (174 miles) east of Melbourne.

“You should not be there tomorrow and we want you to get out now.”

New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, has suffered the brunt of the wildfire catastrophe. Nine people have died nationwide and more than 1,000 homes destroyed in the past few months.

High temperatures are expected until the new year, with fire danger in Sydney and northern New South Wales set at very high.

Shane Fitzsimmons, the New South Wales rural fire services commissioner, said 85 fires were still burning across the state with almost half of them not contained.

“We’ve got some deteriorating weather conditions over the coming days, particularly Monday and worsening through to Tuesday,” he said.

Fires have also ravaged Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia.

Additional reporting by agencies