A grinch for New Year!

Monday 3 January 2011 10:00 AM

Raining on others' parades is not normally my style. But the $256,000 budget for the fireworks over the 'G rates at least a casual question. Impressive? Spine-tingling? Jaw-dropping? City exalting? Undoubtedly, and much more.

But just so we can say "the biggest ever"? The same was trumpeted last year. So are we to expect a still grander pyrotechnic largesse for 2012? And that's not to mention the legendary rivalry with the harbour city to our north. Heaven forbid that their's might be more impressive, wowing and glorifying than ours! (Even if they do have the bridge, and a seven-figure budget.)

And if the show-me-yours-and-I'll-raise-you passion really takes hold, what then? Are the citizenries of the two state capitals now unwitting participants in a perpetual Olympics-style bidding war for an annual 30 minutes' luminescent supremacy?

Let's just hope the trains can get us home.