Fireworks business fizzles as Melbourne company hired for city's displays

For more than 20 years, Peter Daley's Bendigo Fireworks provided the displays for New Year's Eve and Easter, however recent city council budget cuts left the business unable to provide their usual display.

When the fireworks shows were outsourced to a Melbourne company, Mr Daley demanded answers.

"We started up in 1993, so we've been going for over 30 years," he said.

"We've been providing all the fireworks to the city for all their New Year's Eve and Easter shows for the past 23 years and this year they decided to give a two-year contract to a Melbourne operator."

In emails obtained by the Bendigo Advertiser, the City of Greater Bendigo wrote to Mr Daley to advise him the budget for the 2022 New Year's Eve fireworks shows had been cut to $18,000, a reduction of $5800 from previous shows, according to Mr Daley.

Mr Daley said the price of providing fireworks displays had increased since COVID-19.

In an email to the city council, he said the budget cut made it "impossible for us to conduct displays in my home town that I am happy to put my name against".

"We came out of COVID and prices, everything went up," he said.

"Now all our prices increased for the shows ... then when [the City of Greater Bendigo] went to tender, they dropped all the prices again, they dropped 30 per cent off the budget.

"Everything had to stay the same. I said 'it can't be done, you cannot keep the shows the same at 30 per cent [less]'."

The City of Greater Bendigo's director of strategy and growth Rachel Lee said council had "additional budget" during 2021 due to COVID-cancelled events and grant funding "intended to help revitalise communities".

"The following year, 2022, the budget for this event returned to its usual annual allocation," Ms Lee said.

Ms Lee said Bendigo Fireworks was not appointed for the 2022 New Year's Eve fireworks display as "the business informed the city it could not deliver a display for the budgeted price".

Council ran a "competitive tender process" in January 2023 for the Easter and New Year's Eve fireworks displays for 2023 and 2024, Ms Lee said.

"While the city's tender process does take into consideration a 'local supplier' element, the city has a responsibility to select a tender that represents the best value for money," she said.

"After evaluating the tenders received, ProFire Pyrotechnics was selected."

Three companies submitted a tender, Ms Lee said, including Bendigo Fireworks.

"The successful tenderer submitted a high quality quote demonstrating their capability and capacity to deliver a high quality show that represented best value," Ms Lee said.

According to Mr Daley the Bendigo Easter 2023 fireworks show, carried out by the Melbourne supplier, was not to the standard of previous shows, and included fewer fireworks than outlined in the tender.

"All I've got to do is give you fireworks for eight minutes, and that's exactly what they've done," Mr Daley said.

"There's no volume, there's no creativity about it, there was nothing."

Ms Lee said council was satisfied with the display that was presented and what was tendered for and what was displayed was the same.

"The city also received compliments from the community on the presentation of the display," she said.

Mr Daley said the lack of support from council would force his business to close.

He said it was only due to the support of the Bendigo Agricultural Show Society, and the Bendigo International Madison that he had been able to keep going.

"They came to the party, they upped their funding, they've kept me going a local business for another 12 months," he said.

Mr Daley said his business also supported the Bendigo Chinese Association, providing and storing the popular firecrackers in his magazine.

In a letter of support, Bendigo Chinese Association president Doug Lougoon said it would be "lamentable if the services of Peter Daley and Bendigo Fireworks were lost to the Bendigo Chinese Association."

"We do all their storage, we do all their permits, we help them wherever we can, all in kind," Mr Daley said.

"That's our community. What does this Melbourne operator do to give back?"