Gundaroo's Fireworks Australia is back with a bang after a bad 2020, better 2021 and cracking 2022.
The local fireworks company will be helping Canberrans ring in the New Year on Saturday night, with two tonnes of fireworks exploding over Lake Burley Griffin at 9pm and midnight.
Fireworks Australia owner Marty Brady, a second-generation fireworks man, was busy with staff on Friday preparing the pontoons of fireworks which will be positioned in the central and east basin of the lake.
EventsACT says there will be four "hub" areas to see the fireworks - Regatta Point, Patrick White Lawns, Rond Terrace and Bowen Park.
Services and amenities will be available at each hub area including food trucks, first aid, portable toilets, and security. DJs will be located at each hub area to create added atmosphere in the lead up to the 9pm show.
Mr Brady said there were 10 minutes of fireworks at 9pm and midnight featuring thousands of shots.
"They've both got finales. What we've tried to do design-wise is running a new theme about every 30 seconds," he said.
"So about every half-a-minute, the look will change, so it has a lot of variety."
Mr Brady said staff had been working on the show for six weeks.
To provide a higher impact show, the west basin will not feature in this year's display and there will be no hub at Lennox Gardens.
"As long as you are in the central or east basin, you will see them," Mr Brady said.
Mr Brady's dad David started the business by selling retail fireworks in Canberra. He is still involved with the business and will be lakeside on Saturday to see the NYE fireworks.
The business has expanded into shows and entertainment, based on a property near Gundaroo since the late 1990s for the space and security.
"It's like a prison out there. A lot of cameras and heaps of security," Mr Brady said.
The company has eight New Year's Eve shows on Saturday including Coogee, Wollongong, Kiama, Bathurst and Jervis Bay. After New Year's Eve, Mr Brady will focus on providing the fireworks show for Summernats, which starts in Canberra on January 5.
It's back to business after COVID caused almost every event to be cancelled in 2020.
"It's been pretty tough during COVID although this year, 2022, has been very busy," Mr Brady said.
"But you know, 2020, in particular, just everything came to a stop.
"I was very lucky in that in our company we also do explosives training which we focused on a bit.
"And also we install a lot of fireworks at the ski resorts. We have four or five shows a week at the snow and the ski resorts pushed on in 2020. So we were very lucky to be supported by those guys so we were sort of okay.
"COVID has affected a lot of small business in Australia in that people have moved jobs and moved around and in that sense, it hasn't been simple. But certainly entertainment and events have come back with a vigour this summer.
"And I suspect 2023 will be even busier."
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