Unprecedented police presence for New Year’s celebrations

2 hours ago 2

New Year’s Eve revellers in Melbourne will be treated to a seven-minute midnight fireworks show and a new multi-directional laser display as an unprecedented number of police are deployed to keep them safe.

The celebrations are expected to attract more than 500,000 people to the CBD, and there will be 2500 police rostered to work on Wednesday night – including 500 in the inner city.

Melbourne’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display in 2024.

General duty officers will be supported by specialists from the public order response team, mounted police and the critical incident response team (CIRT).

“Community safety is a paramount responsibility for our government, and that’s why we’re focused on having more police than ever on the beat this New Year,” acting Police Minister Enver Erdogan said.

“I want to stress that there’s absolutely no threat to any event in Victoria. But we’re taking absolutely every precaution,” he said.

While CIRT police will be equipped with heavy weaponry, their public visibility will be minimal on Wednesday evening.

Heavily armed CIRT officers were seen on foot patrols outside the MCG on Boxing Day. The NSW police force has announced that some of its officers will carry large, long-arm weapons at major New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Heavily armed CIRT police on patrol outside the MCG on Boxing Day.

“They’ll be in their cars so they can get to where they need to be really quickly,” Victoria Police acting commander Troy Papworth said of CIRT officers. “You won’t see them out on foot like you did at the Boxing Day Test.”

Designated areas for police to search for weapons will also be declared along the St Kilda foreshore and in the Geelong CBD.

The controversial powers allow officers to search people randomly without a warrant, under the Weapons Control Act. In November areas in and around Melbourne’s CBD were deemed a designated area for six months.

“It’s not a measure that we really want to take, but we understand that it’s a measure that we do have to take. We don’t make any apologies for putting in these designated areas,” Papworth said.

Those celebrating in Melbourne’s CBD will be treated to a multimillion-dollar firework display, as well as a range of free activities and music performances.

There will be four designated celebration zones – in Docklands, Kings Domain, Flagstaff Gardens and Treasury Gardens – which are family-friendly and free to enter.

Public transport will be free between 6pm on Wednesday and 6am on Thursday. Services will run on an extended timetable. Flinders Street Station and Southern Cross Station will both be open for 24 hours.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece spruiked the fireworks display, which will cost about $6 million, calling it the best in the country. There will be a 9.30pm show for families, as well as the traditional midnight display.

Rusty Johnson (centre) and team preparing fireworks for the New Year’s Eve display.

“We’ve got the biggest and best show yet. It’s also the best organised New Year’s Eve we’ve ever put on,” Reece said. “We’re expecting to generate more than $75 million in extra activity this year off the back of revellers coming into the city and celebrating in style.”

Co-ordination of the fireworks display began in May and the final production is expected to last about seven minutes. This year will also feature a new multi-directional laser display.

People as far away as Frankston and the Dandenong Ranges will be able to catch the show, according to master pyrotechnician Rusty Johnson.

“We’re firing [from] 27 rooftops this year with a combination of fireworks, lasers, colours … it’s the best way to bring masses of people together to have a good time,” Johnson said.

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