I Built a Website That Notifies You if Fireworks Are Happening in Your Area for (Most of) Australia

AssociatedLbradism @ fireworks-tonight.au on 23/04/2023 - 22:55
Last edited 24/04/2023 - 09:05 by 1 other user

I had this idea to build a website that scraped my state's registered firework displays listings so that I could send myself an email whenever fireworks were happening near my house. I've got a dog who doesn't like them, and a few friends in a similar position. Once I had the basics together I decided to add other states as well. Right now it scrapes and lists fireworks in NSW, QLD, SA and WA. (Vic don't make the data available, and I haven't done TAS/NT yet).

You can either use the search based on a suburb to find any registered displays up to 7 days in the future, or subscribe for email notifications for any future fireworks.

Anyway, it took me a pretty dumb amount of time to make this thing and I thought I would share it with OzBargain in case it helps any other pet owners. It's a free service and other than an email for subscriptions it doesn't record any personal information so hopefully this is okay to post.

https://fireworks-tonight.au/

And no: If your local bogans do not register their illegal firecrackers with their state's Work Safe or equivalent, it will not notify you of all fireworks although if there is any API out there that reports spikes in noise in all the suburbs in Australia let me know…

Pets Fireworks

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Comments

  • Hybroid on 23/04/2023 - 22:58
    +2

    Interesting niche topic to focus on. Thanks for the resource.

    For Sydney 2000, it shows Moore Park's upcoming fireworks but not the weekly Darling Harbour ones.

    • theHMASfriendship on 23/04/2023 - 22:59
      +5

      2000 was 23 years ago

    • Associatedbradism @ fireworks-tonight.au on 23/04/2023 - 23:02
      +1

      Are those the ones that happen every Saturday night? Do they still happen (been a while since I was in Sydney on a Saturday night).
      If they do, maybe they have an exemption not to register them with SafeWork. Basically if it doesn't come up here: https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/fireworks-display it won't be on my site :(

      • Hybroid on 23/04/2023 - 23:06

        They certainly do still happen and next one is 29th April 8:30 PM (same day as listed Moore Park).

        https://www.darlingharbour.com/whats-on/campaigns/fireworks

        Seems you are correct they're not listed on the SafeWork website when selecting 29th April for 2000.

        • Associatedbradism @ fireworks-tonight.au on 23/04/2023 - 23:08
          +2

          Time to make a complaint to SafeWork…

          • resisting the urge on 24/04/2023 - 10:48

            @bradism: Such a good use of public data, well done.

            Only trouble is that public complaint systems are automated funnels, turned upside down by the departments who make it their business to shield politicians from the impacts of events within their areas of responsibility. So most are designed to fail, and/or ensure that every complaint raised is entropically encouraged to fall out- under gravity.

            Maybe it's time to automate the complaint raising side, so every time someone plans to let off explosives above our heads, users of the site can automatically lodge complaints. Those Ignored are automatically followed up with an automated email campaign, so that bureaucratic process cannot be used to limit the number of decisions made by the responsible parties, i.e. there is always a pollie signing off on igniting tons of explosives and filling our air (and not theirs) with phosphor.

            But first it just needs a signup process so events can trigger alerts to users registered as in the area… assuming you have nothing else to do ;-)

    • Savas on 24/04/2023 - 09:08
      +1

      if it happens every week, probably you can remember without using the website.

  • jv on 23/04/2023 - 23:05
    +1

    Vic don't make the data available

    I wonder why ?

    • Associatedbradism @ fireworks-tonight.au on 23/04/2023 - 23:07
      +6

      Me too JV. I actually did send them an inquiry via their contact form and they said they'd forward it to a relevant department. That was a few months ago.

      • jv on 23/04/2023 - 23:47
        -1

        I'm guessing Dan is hiding something.

      • lachhelix on 24/04/2023 - 00:05
        +2

        relevant department

        🚮

    • Sammy2000 on 24/04/2023 - 05:15

      Pity, have looked for a Victorian one previously. Well done on your site.

  • Guybrush57 on 23/04/2023 - 23:55

    What exactly will you do with the information once you know fireworks are forthcoming? Keep your pets inside during the event?

  • AustriaBargain on 24/04/2023 - 00:44
    +2

    I just set off a firework and I don't see it on your website.

    • pjetson on 24/04/2023 - 08:16
      +9

      It's for "fireworks" - you need to set off more than one.

    • onetwothreefour on 24/04/2023 - 10:00

      And no: If your local bogans do not register their illegal firecrackers with their state's Work Safe or equivalent, it will not notify you of all fireworks although if there is any API out there that reports spikes in noise in all the suburbs in Australia let me know…

  • meowsers on 24/04/2023 - 06:37

    This reminds me of an episode of Silicon Valley. "Nip Alert"

  • WreckTangle on 24/04/2023 - 06:39

    This already exists in NSW

    https://www.safework.nsw.gov.au/fireworks-display

    • deme on 24/04/2023 - 08:06
      +1

      Right now it scrapes and lists fireworks in NSW, QLD, SA and WA. (Vic don't make the data available, and I haven't done TAS/NT yet).

    • KSMLJ on 24/04/2023 - 08:14
      +3

      Shocking news, but there are actually people living outside of Sydney and NSW.

      • Clear on 24/04/2023 - 08:52
        +1

        A lot of NSW OzBargainers forget that. They're like the Americans. Always assuming everyone is from the same place.

    • Associatedbradism @ fireworks-tonight.au on 24/04/2023 - 09:56

      That site is the source of my data, but its location search is limited only to a single postcode whereas Fireworks Tonight will search geographically and match any suburbs up to 20km away.
      Plus with my site you can see a pretty fireworks picture whenever there is an event on. :)

      • resisting the urge on 24/04/2023 - 11:02

        The same as sites like Telstra's, where to lookup service status you need to provide your address so they can filter out anything they want- which is everything they haven't admitted to knowing is directly related to your service. Most of the time results in no known issues. Which is perfect for their purpose, as by the time there is a problem, it is fixed, and they didn't have to own it, or ever have to admit there were larger issues that were likely related.

        And neatly prevents anyone checking how poorly they are performing, by doing an overall search.

  • deme on 24/04/2023 - 08:07

    And no: If your local bogans do not register their illegal firecrackers with their state's Work Safe or equivalent, it will not notify you of all fireworks although if there is any API out there that reports spikes in noise in all the suburbs in Australia let me know…

    You should add a note on where to report this trash. I tried Cheapa Waste Skips but they refused.

    • Associatedbradism @ fireworks-tonight.au on 24/04/2023 - 09:57
      +1

      Adding a snitch link… I've added it to the backlog.

  • sharkyoz on 24/04/2023 - 08:39
    -2

    I get fed up with no-smoking sporting arenas where they let off fireworks and all the smoke drifts into the crowds.
    Smoke is a health hazard, no matter where it originates.
    All fireworks should be done with local weather conditions in mind to restrict smoke influx into crowd areas.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/04/2023 - 17:23

      Its not just the smoke actually the items used to make the colours are usually things like Copper and Led things that normally you don't want to go on fire near you as breathing in those chemicals can be a health hazard. Not to mention the amount of noise generated and the millions of dollars wasted all for 10 minutes or less of entertainment.
      If local governments put that money into roads and other stuff we would be far better off.

  • pegaxs on 24/04/2023 - 10:06
    +4

    Can you make one, but instead of fireworks, it checks to see if there is sausages on at Bunnings?? Sick of driving 10km to get to my local Bunnings for a Snag, just to find out, no one is doing the sausage sizzle that weekend…

    • [Deactivated] on 24/04/2023 - 10:20

      Pre-pandemic, I recall one of the school parents complaining that the wait to get a Bunnings sausage sizzle slot was about 3-4 months.

    • inherentchoice on 24/04/2023 - 11:37
      +1

      Yeah I thought these things are a huge money-spinner for community groups that they all can't even get a date. Where I live the community groups were lucky to get once a year, but they would make around $2000.

    • Some Human on 24/04/2023 - 12:19

      This would be so much more useful.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/04/2023 - 14:26

    Give it 6 months of the new ALP Government in NSW and you won't be able to do anything without a permit or several million dollars worth of Professional indemnity insurance. In Vic the company putting on the fireworks is legally required to mail everyone in the area letting them know their will be fireworks and they aren't allowed to store any unexploded fireworks anywhere so they need to be ordered per event and they need permits for each event plus insurance.
    Basically its not worth holding events in Vic unless you can afford the huge insurance costs.

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