New Zealand First has tabled a member’s bill aiming to ban the public sale and private use of fireworks across the country.
Party leader Winston Peters said the Fireworks Prohibition Legislation Bill seeks to end the retail sale, manufacture, and importation of fireworks for individual use, while allowing approved public displays to continue, RNZ reported.
“Enough is enough,” Peters said. “Taxpayers should not have to fund millions in damages caused by fireworks that harm pets, start fires, and overwhelm our emergency services,” reported RNZ.
He said the misuse of fireworks has far exceeded any enjoyment they once brought, calling the proposal a “common-sense” step rather than government overreach.
“Many major retailers have already stopped selling fireworks, and the public has been calling for this change for years,” Peters added, RNZ quoted.
The bill, he said, responds to rising costs for ACC and emergency callouts, and aims to protect animals and families from reckless use.
“New Zealand has reached a point where we must have an honest discussion about the future of fireworks in our communities,” Peters said, as quoted by RNZ.