Have 15,000 people got it wrong?

For six of the last seven years, approximately 15,000 people have congregated at Umina Oval on New Year's Eve to celebrate the ending of a year, decade, century or millennium and consequently to welcome in the dawning of the same.

The majority of these people were Peninsula people, along with relatives, friends and tourists.

Everyone who attended amassed as a community in the only annual festivity allocated to Umina, that I am aware of.

Safety was never a problem as the arena where the fireworks were launched was fenced off to the public.

On these nights, the constabulary were out in force to ensure the community both young and old enjoyed themselves, without conflict.

Fire Brigades, both local and bushfire, were in attendance to ensure the highest safety standards around this pyrotechnics display.

Food vendors and rides added to the carnival atmosphere.

Charity was not forgotten as a gold coin donation was collected for Council's Community Chest.

Local businesses contributed to the Umina's big night.

After the fireworks display, people returned to their homes to continue their party, watch the Sydney fireworks or alternatively adjourned to the local bowling club.

The Umina Bowling Club always had a bumper night with the overflow crowding into the local club.

(Surely the benefits reaped by this club on such a night could not be lost on the registered clubs lobby that constitutes 20 per cent of Gosford Council.)

This was a public holiday well celebrated and most of the fundraising for the event was done by Rotary, through local business contributions.

The community as a whole benefited.

The huge crowd that ventured to this New Year's event must now endure a trip to Sydney and the Entrance and the ensuing gridlock.

More recently on January 24, Australia Day Eve, a fully-funded fireworks display did not eventuate within the confined Woy Woy wharf area.

The whole of this fireworks and public liability were all paid for by Gosford Council.

I have always celebrated being Australian on Australia Day.

This year, with my wife, I ventured up to Mt Penang Parklands markets and The Entrance to celebrate.

On transit to the Entrance, I heard by local radio that the Australia Day eve Woy Woy fireworks was cancelled as they were wet prior to ignition and there was a disappointing crowd in attendance also.

My commiserations to Mr Keith Schofield, the pyrotechnician, but even the best laid plans can come unstuck.

At the time of the local news broadcast and the way it was broadcast, I thought this is indicative of an area that also holds a Spikefest, and I was sure Spike Milligan would have been proud of our efforts, i.e. the wetting of the fireworks prior to ignition.

As the fireworks were still drying, it was decided to use them to celebrate the opening of the Peninsula Leisure Centre.

An event that was possibly held up for a year or two for various reasons, one of those being noise pollution.

I do not think delivery a year or two late, of something as vital as the local swimming pool to this community, is really something to celebrate.

I write this article as I try to fathom how a non-public holiday event, (several are held in one area) in a confined space which draws a couple of hundred people can receive full council funding, while at the diametrically opposite end of the Peninsula on a public holiday, Umina's only celebration which drew an enormous crowd appears to have died a natural death.

Some 14,999 plus myself must have been wrong or otherwise those that purport to represent us have got it very wrong.

Mike Hudson, Umina