Groundhog Year: Shire Residents Shocked and Disappointed to Discover No Local New Years Fireworks (Again)

Cove Smithson | Summer Intern Reporter | Sutherland Shire Gazette

31 December 2025

In a revelation as predictable as a southerly breeze at Wanda, Sutherland Shire residents have once again been stunned to learn that there will be no New Year’s Eve fireworks in the Shire this year.

Local Facebook groups are ablaze with the usual annual questions: “Are there fireworks in the Shire this year?” “What’s there to do for New Year’s?” and, “Why does our Council hate joy?”

“I ask every year just in case the Council has finally had a change of heart,” admitted local mum Sandra Wilkes. “Cronulla could at least manage a sparkler on the beach. But no, they’d probably ban that too.”

Adding to the déjà vu vibes, locals have begun comparing the situation to the movie Groundhog Day, where the same day repeats endlessly. “It’s like we’re all Bill Murray, except instead of Punxsutawney Phil, we have a grumpy Council delivering the same fireworks-free fate year after year,” said one Reddit commenter.

This year’s déjà vu took a sharp turn into absurdity when Council revealed that the fireworks budget was controversially spent on installing in-ground trampolines in Cronulla Mall. “Fireworks are fleeting, but a good bounce is forever,” a Council spokesperson declared, adding that the trampolines symbolize the Shire’s “commitment to active lifestyles and low-altitude entertainment.”

“Don’t get me wrong, my kids love the trampolines,” said frustrated Kirrawee dad Greg Fenton. “But will they light up the sky at midnight? No. All they do is catapult my toddler into a nearby café table.”

One local jokester even created a “Groundhog NYE” parody video featuring Council staff waking up every December 31 to Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” before approving yet another year of no fireworks.

As the Shire enters another underwhelming NYE, one thing is clear: just like Groundhog Day, nothing changes here—except maybe your ability to stick the perfect trampoline landing at midnight. Happy New Year!