NEWS
New Year’s Eve: Sydney welcomes 2018 with 8 tonnes of fireworks
The clock has ticked over to 2018 and Sydney has done what it does best with a dazzling pyrotechnics display that drew cheers and gasps from the estimated million people who crowded vantage points around the harbour.
About eight tonnes of fireworks produced 100,000 pyrotechnic effects as the sky exploded in a riot of colour and light, with the centrepiece a rainbow tribute to the nation’s historic same-sex marriage vote and the upcoming 40th anniversary of Mardi Gras.
There was also a countdown to midnight for the first time, with fireworks forming the numerals 10 to one on the Harbour Bridge. The word Sydney then spread across the arch before a multi-coloured waterfall of fireworks cascaded down from the world-famous structure.
All harbour vantage points were full two hours before the 9pm family fireworks lit up the harbour, building excitement for the main event, which cost A$7m and lasted 12 minutes.
The show also included a section of fireworks designed by the actor Hugh Jackman.
Almost 45% of those watching around the harbour were international tourists. Guides are written in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish and German.
Thunderstorms had threatened to dampen New Year’s Eve celebrations in Brisbane, but the city dodged the worst of the severe weather that hit other areas, and revellers on the city’s foreshores enjoyed two stunning pyrotechnic displays at 8.30pm and midnight.
Revellers in Ipswich weren’t so lucky, with the council posting on social media that organisers had been forced to cancel its celebrations because of the weather. In Adelaide, revellers in Glenelg and the CBD were treated to fireworks displays at 9pm and midnight.
The night wasn’t completely without mishap. Two pyrotechnicians were forced to jump off a fireworks barge on the NSW central coast and suffered minor injuries after a display went wrong. Crowds were evacuated from the Terrigal beach after the barge caught fire just minutes into the fireworks show.
Police had tightened security measures before the New Year’s Eve fireworks, and Sydney’s lord mayor, Clover Moore, said revellers 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 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.”
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 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.
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.
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.
