A motion before Darwin Council calling on the NT Government to introduce a new tax on Territory Day fireworks has the support of the Mayor and at least one councillor who want to use the additional revenue to cover clean-up costs the day after cracker night.

The levy motion was brought by councillor Mick Palmer, who said on Tuesday that while he is not against lighting fireworks, the people who engage in the annual tradition need to pay more to help cover the city’s costs.

It comes the same week as Alice Springs Council debates a motion restricting areas where people can legally discharge fireworks.

Mr Palmer said the clean-up levy would be another “licensing fee” imposed by the NT Government on sellers who could pass the additional costs on to customers, with council eventually getting some money to cover its bill.

“[The government] know exactly how many fireworks have been brought in, know exactly what’s been sold, what’s left over, and to impose a levy would not be that much of a problem,” he told Mix 104.9.

“What I’m asking is for the Lord Mayor to write to the Chief Minister asking for the imposition of the levy that would go on those fireworks.

“I don’t want to get rid of them, you know, but I think those that let them off should pay the cost.”

Mr Palmer suggested he was “too old” to light them off himself, but said he would also like to see fireworks legally sold and set off on other holidays to attract more tourists to the Territory.

The NT Government already collects standard commercial licensing fees through NT WorkSafe on fireworks. WorkSafe figures show the fee is $894 for retail sales under 200kg and $1,788 for more than 200kg. Fireworks sold wholesale attracts a $3,725 fee. The total collected annually is small and not reported separately from other fees collected by WorkSafe.

Darwin Mayor Peter Styles said he supported Mr Palmer’s motion for a clean-up leavy and said this year’s cracker night celebrations cost council roughly $80,000 to clean up.

“When you look at things these days, it’s user pays,” he said on Mix 104.9. “So, if you want to go and let fireworks off all over the place, and don’t want to clean your own mess up…[then pay more].

“I don’t necessarily want them [people who don’t light fireworks] to pay for the clean up of other people who’ve left their rubbish around.

“So, if there’s a licensing fee applied by the Northern Territory Government, we can then go to the government and say, ‘look, it’s $80,000 that the ratepayers have had to cough up’.”

Mr Styles also referenced tourists shooting off fireworks that local ratepayers are on the hook for.

“My belief is that if the retailers are going to sell the product…then they should contribute to the clean-up,” he said. “It’s about user pays.

“[Others] are not leaving a mess, they’re not using the fireworks, should they have to pay?”

The motion will be debated at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro’s office said Tuesday evening she does not support the new levy, but did not explain why.

A total annual cost for cracker night, including to put extra emergency personnel on call, repair property damage, contain fires, and cover emergency healthcare costs and other associated expenses has never been disclosed by the NT Government.