Scaffidi casts doubt on future of Skyworks

Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi says the council will have to weigh up whether to continue funding the $1 million Skyworks amid dwindling crowd numbers.

Ms Scaffidi this morning estimated crowds at about 200,000 rather than the 250,000 stated by City of Perth last night.

While the weather was “a huge deterrent” this year, Ms Scaffidi also blamed competition from other “cracker night” events, violence from previous years and the “alcohol, no alcohol” debate as possible reasons for numbers halving from about 400,000 in 2008.

While she said it was not her decision and believed a wider public debate should determine whether the Australia Day event continued after 28 years, she said it would be discussed by the council when a detailed report was finished.

“I suppose to be very pragmatic that question has to be asked at some point,” she told 6PR.

“It’s going to be a really interesting debate to have at large because there are so many people who are so passionate about fireworks.

“I’m not personally one of them, but there are many out there who probably would be devastated if the event was ever cancelled.

“So, I’m not going to make the call on that one. I’m happy for that to be publicly debated.”

Ms Scaffidi said at a cost of “at least $1 million a year”, it added up to $28 million over the life of the event.

She said “from an economic perspective” the cost would have to be discussed by the council.

“Would Perth have better served to spend that money on other things that might be more long lasting,” she said.