Sydney's fire chief has refused to rule out cancelling the city's New Year's Eve fireworks display, despite Australia's prime minister insisting they will go ahead.
That's despite hundreds of thousands of people signing a petition calling for them to be cancelled.
Over €3.5 million was reportedly spent on the city's display last year.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says ''in the midst of the challenges that we have faced, subject to the safety considerations, I can think of no better time to express to the world just how optimistic and positive we are as a country."
However, New South Wales fire commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said of the Sydney display: "If I determine it to be too risky, that doesn't concern me.
Hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for the display to be cancelled, using the money to instead to fight the bushfires.
New South Wales, of which Sydney is the state capital, has been worst affected with eight dead and 1,000 homes destroyed.
The petition says that all states in Australia should "say no" to fireworks, with the money given to firefighters, farmers, and animal carers.
