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| New Year's Eve: police block roads in Australian cities as revellers prepare for fireworks | New Year's Eve: police block roads in Australian cities as revellers prepare for fireworks |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Police tightened security measures before the New Year’s Eve fireworks, which were expected to be watched by more than 1 million people from vantage points around Sydney harbour and by more than 500,000 in Melbourne’s central business district. | |
| The Sydney lord mayor, Cloover Moore, said revellers who had been staking out positions all day to watch Sydney’s fireworks could expect a “fabulous and safe” display. She said the City of Sydney council had worked closely with New South Wales police to make sure the $7m show was a success. | The Sydney lord mayor, Cloover Moore, said revellers who had been staking out positions all day to watch Sydney’s fireworks could expect a “fabulous and safe” display. She said the City of Sydney council had worked closely with New South Wales police to make sure the $7m show was a success. |
| “There are extra [security] measures tonight but there’s no particular concern, they’re just measures that are being taken because of the sorts of things that have been happening around the world,” Moore said. “We have always had a really fabulous, very safe event and that’s what we’re counting on doing again tonight.” | “There are extra [security] measures tonight but there’s no particular concern, they’re just measures that are being taken because of the sorts of things that have been happening around the world,” Moore said. “We have always had a really fabulous, very safe event and that’s what we’re counting on doing again tonight.” |
| NSW police were going to use vehicles to block off roads “where appropriate” in an attempt to ensure no one could use a truck to attack partygoers. There were also concrete and water-filled bollards strategically located across the city. | |
| A high-visibility police operation took place in Circular Quay on Sunday morning. Circular Quay station was closed to passengers at 5pm with revellers told to get off at Wynyard, St James or Martin Place and walk to the harbour foreshore. | |
| Melbourne’s city centre was expected to be in lockdown for the celebrations, with extra bollards and additional police used to try and keep people safe from a potential attack. | |
| Some streets in the CBD and Docklands were closed to vehicles amid heightened security concerns after a Werribee man was charged in November with allegedly plotting a New Year’s Eve terror attack and following two incidents in which cars ploughed into pedestrians at Bourke and Flinders streets. But authorities said they had no information to suggest planned attacks. | |
| Two areas in Adelaide were “declared public precincts” as police mounted a major operation to crack down on antisocial behaviour. The declarations for Sunday night and Monday morning cover parts of the CBD and seaside Glenelg and gave police wider search and crowd control powers. | |
| In Sydney there was to be eight tonnes of fireworks producing 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects. For the first time, fireworks were going to form the numerals 10 to one on the harbour bridge. The word “Sydney” was expected to then be spread across the arch. | |
| Asked if he was confident of getting the timing spot on, fireworks director Fortunato Foti said: “Well it will either work or it won’t ... But we’re pretty confident.” | Asked if he was confident of getting the timing spot on, fireworks director Fortunato Foti said: “Well it will either work or it won’t ... But we’re pretty confident.” |
| During the display, there was expected to be a rainbow waterfall off the bridge to celebrate the same-sex marriage vote and the upcoming 40th anniversary of Mardi Gras. | |
| The actor Hugh Jackman had designed a brief section of the fireworks, which was to appear eight minutes into the midnight display. | |
| Sydney’s most popular New Year’s Eve vantage points began filling early on Sunday morning. Revellers were being urged to catch public transport with extra trains and buses running all afternoon. | |
| Some inner-city roads closed early on Sunday morning with the majority to be shut down by 7pm. After 11pm all roads north of Goulburn Street in the CBD will be closed. Most roads remain shut until 4am. | Some inner-city roads closed early on Sunday morning with the majority to be shut down by 7pm. After 11pm all roads north of Goulburn Street in the CBD will be closed. Most roads remain shut until 4am. |
| More than $2.6m was being spent on Melbourne’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, which included 14 tonnes of fireworks. An extra 100 train services were scheduled to run to get more than 100,000 people in and out of the city. | |
| “Whether that’s on the roads, the footpaths, the pubs and clubs, just play it cool,” Victoria’s road policing command assistant commissioner, Doug Fryer, said. “Give everything some time, be considerate of each other and just show respect for each other.” | “Whether that’s on the roads, the footpaths, the pubs and clubs, just play it cool,” Victoria’s road policing command assistant commissioner, Doug Fryer, said. “Give everything some time, be considerate of each other and just show respect for each other.” |
| Fryer also warned partygoers planning to drink or take drugs against getting behind the wheel. | Fryer also warned partygoers planning to drink or take drugs against getting behind the wheel. |
| Queensland police’s New Year’s Eve commander superintendent, Tony Fleming, said there would be a large number of police officers on duty across the state to prevent antisocial behaviour and ensure revellers’ safety. | Queensland police’s New Year’s Eve commander superintendent, Tony Fleming, said there would be a large number of police officers on duty across the state to prevent antisocial behaviour and ensure revellers’ safety. |
| However, bad weather could put a dampener on party plans across the state’s south-east. The Bureau of Meteorology said there would be an 80% chance of rain in Brisbane on New Year’s Eve with the possibility of a thunderstorm. | However, bad weather could put a dampener on party plans across the state’s south-east. The Bureau of Meteorology said there would be an 80% chance of rain in Brisbane on New Year’s Eve with the possibility of a thunderstorm. |
| Both Brisbane and the Gold Coast were set to hold multiple fireworks displays on Sunday evening, with the biggest celebration to be along the Brisbane river at South Bank. | |
| The Queensland Ambulance Service told partygoers to consider Sunday’s forecast hot conditions. | The Queensland Ambulance Service told partygoers to consider Sunday’s forecast hot conditions. |
| The South Australian health minister, Peter Malinauskas, urged Adelaide revellers to go easy on the alcohol to keep the pressure off ambulance and hospital services. | The South Australian health minister, Peter Malinauskas, urged Adelaide revellers to go easy on the alcohol to keep the pressure off ambulance and hospital services. |