Kiama Council’s controversial decision to cancel the New Year’s Eve fireworks display unless a sponsor can be found will have ramifications not just for local businesses but community groups as well.

For many local business operators, the festival is their biggest money-spinner of the year while community groups use the event as an opportunity to raise much-needed funds.

The local Rural Fire Service, covering Jamberoo, Gerringong, Foxground and Carrington Falls, and Surf Life Saving Clubs have been beneficiaries as the chosen charity.

Volunteers worked their way through the heaving crowds on Kiama’s foreshore, collecting donations and raising awareness about their efforts in the community.

The Surf Life Saving Clubs were chosen for the past two years with the Rural Fire Service getting the gig the previous two years.

By simply having volunteers wander around with donation buckets, around $15,000 has been raised each New Year’s Eve to help fund their vital community services.

Destination Kiama chair, Councillor Matt Brown was intending to put forward Landcare as this year’s chosen charity as well as a local mental health group.

Kiama Council has put the call out for sponsors to offset the cost of the annual event after recently opting to withdraw its own funding with Mayor Cameron McDonald stating that the NYE Sky Show needs substantial external funding to go ahead.

Councillors voted against allocating $95,000 to self-fund the fireworks when the 2025-26 budget was approved last month with Cr McDonald saying they needed to be fiscally responsible while operating under the State Government-imposed Performance Improvement Order.

South Coast Surf Life Saving branch president Shane Wicks, who is a member of Kiama SLSC and the Jamberoo Rural Fire Service, hoped that Council can find a solution through a sponsor or change its mind about financially supporting the event.

“It’s a great opportunity for community groups to get a large range of people in a small area and a lot of community groups rely on different types of funding to fund a lot of their activities,” he said.

“Surf life saving doesn’t get government funding. We do grants but most of the funding comes from ourselves - clubs have to organise fundraising.

“With regards to the RFS, we are supplied with basic equipment that we need to fight fires but it’s the things on top like gas detectors and thermal imaging cameras to identify hot spots we have to fun.”

Wicks said the volunteers not only collected money but used the opportunity to engage with the community about the services they provide and offer advice on safety matters, such as fire hazards, surf awareness and fishing on the rocks.

He added that as a local resident who has been going to the New Year’s Eve show for more than a decade that the town is alive as thousands gather to celebrate together by watching the spectacular fireworks, Australia’s biggest coastal fireworks outside of Sydney.

“I’ve been to at least 15 with my kids over the years, there’s a great vibe in the town and you very rarely see any trouble,” he said.

“Being able to fundraise during those events that are put on by Council just makes it so much easier for those organisations.

“The community absolutely loves the fireworks. It’s a great atmosphere.”

Council’s Spendmapp "Event Tracker" data revealed there was $1.76 million in local spending on New Year’s Eve, which was the highest total recorded across recent major events.

Little Betty’s on Collins Street is one of the many local businesses which thrives on New Year’s Eve and co-owner Paul Paterno said he would be disappointed if the fireworks display disappeared from the calendar.

“The amount of people who descend into town is incredible,” he said.

“Without it a lot of businesses miss out on their biggest night of the year.

“It’s always good when we’ve got that many people in town - thousands walking around looking for food and drink. It would be a shame not to have it.

“Having the fireworks on gives people a reason to come to Kiama. I do believe people are going to go other LGAs that do have events on and it will leave Kiama missing out.

“The return on investment for local businesses is much greater than the 80 or 90 grand it costs to put them on.”