On December 18, the general manager of Fibre Optics Design & Construct, a Bulli fibre cable company, Michael McKeogh, was climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge connecting cables for the fireworks.
Sponsor, Telstra, not only showcased the event to the world but also improved their telecommunications system just for the event by upgrading their base stations & installing 3 temporary base stations around Sydney! They also worked with the creative team, Imagination Australia, to produce the event’s smartphone application, which featured advertising.
Very Important Person Viewing Area – Embrace The Rhythm
Lord Mayor’s Party – Embraceable You
Acknowledgement Of Country
- Mai Poppy Anne – Wuruniri Music and Dance
9pm Family Fireworks
- Prince of Darkness (Avengers Remix) – City of the Fallen
- Do It Like That – Ricki Lee
- You Make Me Feel – Cobra Starship featuring Sabi
- Barricade – Maddi Jane
- The Last Seed – John Powell
- I Feel Good – James Brown
- We Are Young – Fun
- Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
- We Are – Keke Palmer
- All the Lovers – Kylie Minogue
- Wolfgang’s 5th Symphony – Wolfgang Gartner
Telstra Colour Moments
A fireworks soundtrack was not produced
The official iOS smartphone application did not feature a Midnight countdown while the official Android smartphone application did.
Midnight Fireworks
- NYE’s Countdown – s:amplify
- Shredders – Steve Jablonksy
- Daydreamer – Flux Pavilion
- Can’t Get You Outta My Head – Kylie Minogue
- Louder – DJ Fresh featuring Sian Evans
- Oxygene Part II – Jean Micheal Jarre
- Tongue Tied – Grouplove
- Bangarang – Skrillex
- Midnight City – M83
- Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin
- Paradise – Coldplay
- All This and Heaven Too – Florence + The Machine
- Hoppipolla – Sigur Ros
- Rise – Hans Zimmer
- Let’s Go – Calvin Harris (featuring Ne-Yo)
- Only The Horses (Calvin Harris Extended Mix) – Scissor Sisters
- Spinning Around – Kylie Minogue
- Embrace – Bankai v s:amplify (featuring Kylie Minogue)
- Time Bomb – Kylie Minogue
- The Night Out (Madeon Remix) – Martin Solveig
- On A Night Like This – Kylie Minogue
- 2013 is Nigh – s:amplify
- Eyes – Kaskade
- On a Night Like This (The Abbey Roads Sessions Remix) – Kylie Minogue
Aftermath
On January 2, Dave Thomas, he walked to work & found dozens of vivid-green plastic fireworks cartridges washed up at Chowder Bay.
I was out on the Harbour for all of the fireworks & they were spectacular but people don’t think about what happens afterwards. 75% of rubbish is under the surface so it’s part of a wider waste problem.
Dave Thomas
The fireworks director, Fortunato Foti confirmed the plastic was part of a multi-break Roman candle firework that divided into different sections. He said the part had been changed by the manufacturer & 200 to 300 fireworks in their display contained it.
We’ve already made inquiries to the manufacturer. They’re usually made of natural products. We’ve never had this issue before. It’s a common firework that’s used & it’s a pretty common component.
Fortunato Foti, Sydney NYE2012 – ‘Embrace’ Fireworks Director
A City of Sydney spokesperson said it was investigating how this debris ended up in the Harbour without its knowledge:
The City was unaware & regrets that a specific type of firework used in last year’s display had several components that were not biodegradable & these entered the Harbour. We have instructed the contractor that these pyrotechnic effects are never to be used again.
City Of Sydney spokesperson
This galvanised Ian Kiernan to act, though he had been concerned about the environmental fallout from the fireworks for years. On February 9, Ian Kiernan said the fireworks display on Sydney Harbour should be phased out over 3 years & replaced with a light/laser show, citing Hong Kong’s A Symphony of Lights as inspiration, because fireworks pollute Sydney Harbour & neighbouring suburbs with large amounts of carbon dioxide and solid waste.
There’s a world trend to get away from fireworks. We don’t want to deny entertainment to the citizens of Sydney. We just want to replace yesterday’s polluting displays with tomorrow’s non-polluting displays which can be just as dramatic.
Ian Kiernan
Vince Foti of Foti International Fireworks said a laser show would be ”a total failure around the world”:
There is an expectation on Sydney having the fireworks. We are the 1st ones to enjoy the new year with fireworks & that tradition should always be maintained.
Vince Foti
Ian Kiernan said he will put his light show plan to the Friends Of Sydney Harbour committee that he established & the City Of Sydney.
A laser show would not be effective in Sydney because the city was not polluted enough. Laser & light shows are most effective in cities that have high humidity & atmospheric matter such as Hong Kong & Singapore. In the past, we have used laser & light show elements as part of our Sydney New Year’s Eve displays but unfortunately, they have proved ineffective due to our city’s clear and clean sky.
City Of Sydney
Telstra’s Shaping The World Around You campaign in 2013 featured Sydney NYE.
Sources:
https://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1444433/fibre-cable-company-lights-up-the-industry/
Sydney Spectaculars 