The City of Ballarat has said it raised $1400.50 for bushfire relief at the Lake Wendouree fireworks on January 26.
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The traditional Australia Day show attracted an estimated 10 to 15,000 spectators stretched around the perimeter of the lake to watch the 11-minute pyrotechnics unfold.
There had been calls from sections of the community to cancel the fireworks, including a strongly worded opinion piece from the City of Ballarat's deputy mayor Belinda Coates.
The Koorie Engagement Action Group (KEAG) also sent a petition to the council with more than 6,500 signatures asking for the fireworks to be called off.
WATCH THE FIREWORKS HERE
Both Cr Coates and KEAG had argued the fireworks should be cancelled out of respect to the victims of the bushfires that have ravaged large swathes of the country in recent weeks.
They also cited concerns that the day did not represent a celebration for the Aboriginal community.
Shortly after the petition was submitted to council, the City of Ballarat announced that the occasion would continue as planned - fire conditions permitting - and the event would be used to raise money for bushfire relief.
The mayor Ben Taylor said the money had already been committed to the event and that it would be turned into a "major fundraising effort" for bushfire victims.
Last Friday, the Australia Day awards ceremony at Civic Hall was disrupted by around 20 protesters unhappy at the council's decision to go ahead with the show.
On January 26, there was also a dawn survivor ceremony attended on the shores of the lake by more than 1,000 people, acknowledging that January 26 was not a day of celebration for all in the community.
It is the first time such an event has been held in Ballarat.
Earlier this week, the City of Ballarat's CEO Justine Linley said she would to continue to advocate an alternative date for fireworks.
Both the City of Melbourne and the City of Greater Geelong opted to cancel Australia Day fireworks this year.
Three of Ballarat's nine councillors supported cancelling the fireworks.
The Ballarat event still drew a considerable crowd despite the controversy, with spectators telling The Courier they wanted to keep the event on Australia Day in future years.
Editor's note: The numbers of estimated spectators at the fireworks event has been amended to reflect an updated media release from the City of Ballarat.
The CEO also said she would like an alternative date outside of the summer season, which was incorrectly stated in the original article.
READ MORE
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- See Ballarat's Australia Day celebrations at Lake Wendouree
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