In a bid to make the countdown to 2017 more family-orientated, fireworks will once again be let off earlier to entertain children before the traditional midnight display.

The free New Year's Eve Barbecue on the Waterfront is at The Strand on December 31 from 5pm.

Two displays are planned for the city, including one at 9.30pm for the children and a much larger traditional midnight display, which will be set off from Wharepai Domain.

'If we're going to get New Year's Eve back to being a family thing; we have got to get something on earlier in the evening for young families,” says Tauranga Mayor Greg Brownless.

'It happened a year before and it was a big hit. And if we are going to pay more than lip service to getting a family-oriented New Year's Eve culture back, we should do it and not knock it on the head.”

Greg says Tauranga City councillor Terry Molloy drove the initiative for an earlier fireworks display. 'He felt the last year's one had been successful and we should do it again.”

The fireworks on The Strand will be part of a family evening with barbecues prior to the midnight display.

'[It will be] Just a big fireworks display that can be seen from all around Tauranga,” says Terry.

'My understanding is it's part of trying to spread the celebrations, not too much of a concentration at the Mount or on The Strand.”

In October SunLive reported Tauranga City Council was stopping support for Mount Maunganui New Year's Eve celebrations because they were becoming too costly and unsafe.

The free New Year's Eve Family Barbeque on the Waterfront is presented by Downtown Tauranga, More FM, The Weekend Sun and SunLive, before the Tauranga City Council family fireworks display at 9.30pm.

From 5pm on December 31, residents are invited to bring their picnic rug and enjoy the More FM entertainment and family fun for the kids, including spot prizes and music. Plus, the first 500 people will enjoy a free barbecued sausage.