A Brightwater mother is calling for tighter regulations around large-scale fireworks displays and better public notification after her family dog fled in terror and was killed on the road.
Anna Boswell’s five-month-old golden retriever, Elsie, died after a recent professional fireworks display near Brightwater. She says she had no idea an event of such magnitude was planned.
The puppy, a Christmas present for her three children to help them cope with a family separation, was at home being looked after by a friend when the fireworks began, and she bolted.
“I had no idea there was an event of this magnitude scheduled. The fireworks weren’t your usual backyard box from the Warehouse. This was a huge, choreographed to music, professional display,” she says.
“Our house was actually 8km away from the display, yet they looked like they were at the bottom of our garden because they were so big and loud.”
Anna says she has since learned close neighbours were informed about the event, but says that was not enough considering the sheer scale of the fireworks.
She wants to see more regulations introduced around the net explosive content of fireworks, which determines their size, lift and burst capacity.
“There should be more rules about disclosure, so the community have fair notice to take precautions and not have to deal with the death of a family pet. Elsie had her whole life ahead of her.”
Tasman District Council communications officer Darryn Palmer says the council received two complaints about the event. Two Excessive Noise Directions were issued by the council’s noise contractor – one to a professional DJ operating at the event and the second to a guest who later took over DJ duties. An infringement was considered, but due to an administrative error by the contractor, the council is unable to proceed.
Darryn says that after two Excessive Noise Directions have been served, an infringement fine of $1,000 may be issued, but that cannot occur in this instance because of the error.
Unless alcohol is being sold, Darryn says private events are not approved or consented by council and requirements for notifying the public do not fall within council’s authority. The Tasman Resource Management Plan (TRMP) sets the applicable noise rules and is reviewed periodically, with the community invited to provide feedback and suggest changes during those review processes.
Darryn says that advanced notification of events is considered a courtesy as it can help reduce complaints and allows residents to prepare, such as securing animals that may be affected by noise.
Fireworks displays are regulated by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and a spokesperson says the Brightwater event was provided with a permit for the outdoor pyrotechnic display. That includes mitigations in place to prevent a fire from spreading. The spokesperson says Fire and Emergency does not manage noise created during a pyrotechnic display under its legislation.
Meanwhile, Anna says her family is devastated by the loss.
“As a family, we’ve been through a tough two years, including navigating a separation, and she’d helped us cope with that,” she says. “Losing her in such an avoidable way makes this tragedy even harder to bear.
“If a positive change can come from her death, then I guess it might mean Elsie didn’t die for nothing.”
