The West Arnhem community of Maningrida invested in welcoming the New Year on 31 December 2022 with a fireworks extravaganza and a culturally significant opening ceremony performed by local dance groups.
While other scheduled firework events around the Top End were cancelled due to severe winds and rain, including Darwin’s official New Year’s Eve fireworks display, event organiser West Arnhem Regional Council (WARC) and local volunteers worked tirelessly with the Fireworks Australia team to deliver the 25-minute fireworks event of the highest standard despite the heavy downpours.
Strongly funded by the Maningrida Local Authority Board, the New Year’s fireworks display provided an opportunity for residents to experience a fireworks show of the highest calibre.
WARC council services manager in Maningrida Darren Lovett said the fireworks production exceeded all expectations of both the Local Authority members and the entire community.
“The people of Maningrida have never seen anything like it,” Darren said, “the community was in awe”.
More than 1000 Maningrida residents attended this event which also included substantial cultural aspects, including four separate dance groups representing different clans performing ‘Bungul’ at the Maningrida oval.
This special event also represented an informal official opening of the Maningrida AFL Oval which has received significant upgrades including resurfacing, realignment, new goal posts, upgraded irrigation, new fence and newly-installed light towers with lowerable light mast heads to negate the exorbitant costs with hiring/barging Elevated Work Platforms from Darwin to Maningrida to carry out repairs to light towers.
These upgrades to the oval have also been supported by the Maningrida Local Authority and Northern Territory Government Department of Tourism and Culture.
West Arnhem Regional Council would like to thank the Fireworks Australia team, the Maningrida Local Authority, WARC staff including the works crew on the ground, Maningrida Progress Association and NTES MERGS (Maningrida Emergency Response Group) and other stakeholders throughout the community. With their support, this event was an incredible success.
