Australia readies to welcome in the new year
Samantha Lock and Maeve Bannister |
New Year’s Eve revellers across Australia are preparing to farewell 2023 with multiple cities set to sparkle with fireworks, light shows and illuminations.
More Australians say they hope to welcome the new year without the heavy price tag, with one in three set to take advantage of free sites around the country.
Sydney will be one of the first major cities in the world to celebrate the start of the new year and will set the tone with 20 minutes of fireworks in two displays, a smoking ceremony, AI-driven projections onto the harbour bridge and illuminated boats on the water.
More than a million people are expected to flock to Sydney Harbour and its surrounding vantage points.
City of Sydney Fireworks Director Fortunato Foti said onlookers can expect something a little different this year.
“We’re trying to change a few things by using different colours,” he told Sydney radio 2GB on Friday.
“Were using a lot of pastel colours – lemon, orange, magenta, sky blue, lime – to try to mix it up a bit so people will leave and say it was the best so far.”
People wanting to celebrate from one of many non-ticketed foreshore vantage points are being urged to use public transport and to arrive early to secure a spot.
More than 2000 extra police officers will also be deployed across the city.
In Melbourne, a similar New Year’s Eve crowd to 2022 is expected, when a record 475,000 people flooded the city’s CBD.
A midnight fireworks display will showcase more lasers and projections than previous years, lighting up the skyline from 27 rooftops.
The City of Melbourne has designated four “celebration zones” where families can watch the 9.30pm fireworks and measures will be in place to avoid pedestrian “pinch points”, including closing the Elizabeth Street underpass, Lord Mayor Sally Capp said.
Across Victoria, public transport will be free from 6pm on New Year’s Eve to 6am on New Year’s Day.
Western Australia will celebrate the new year with community events, parties and fireworks displays across the state.
Perth city will be treated to two explosive displays, one at 8pm from a barge on the Swan River and a second at 11.59pm when fireworks on top of buildings dotted across the city announce the arrival of 2024.
New Year’s Eve fireworks are also planned in Karratha, Esperance, Albany and Pemberton, on Rottnest Island and the Cocos Islands, at Rockingham, Mandurah, and a handful of other Perth beach and riverfront suburbs.
Brisbane’s official New Year’s Eve event has not been altered despite heatwave conditions in the days beforehand.
An event at South Bank Parklands will include two fireworks displays along the Brisbane River, one at 8.30pm and one at midnight.
More than 80,000 fireworks will illuminate the city’s skyline in what is expected to be the biggest in Brisbane’s history.
Gold Coast council was on Thursday considering cancelling some events, with a possible risk of fire amid heatwave conditions.
However it continued to list fireworks events on its website, including at 8pm at Coomera Sports Park and Broadwater Parklands, 8.30pm at Lake Orr Varsity Promenade and 9pm at Paradise Point Parklands.
Hobart waterfront is expected to be packed as spectators celebrate 25 years since the city’s first New Year’s Eve river fireworks.
Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the $127,000 event would include two nine-minute shows from multiple barges on the Derwent.
In Adelaide, revellers can enjoy 9pm and midnight fireworks coupled with live music at a Riverbank event.
One in five Australians who are planning to watch the fireworks say they will arrive before midday to claim a free spot.
Residents in NSW, Victoria and South Australia are most inclined to camp out early, according to the latest research released by the Tourism and Transport Forum Australia.
AAP
