Thousands of people filled the CBD and the harbour foreshore early on Wednesday, as police and transport authorities anticipated significant challenges to public patience and crowd control during the largest single day event in Sydney history.
Many of the best sites for viewing the fireworks on Sydney Harbour were at capacity well before 10 pm. It was reported that Mrs. Macquaries Point, Hickson Road Reserve and Barangaroo Reserve filled up the fastest.
Almost immediately afterward, crowds were forced to make alternate plans to view Sydney Harbour’s New Year Fireworks from a distance due to road closures.
Many of the other top locations for viewing from the water are closed during peak hours to ensure that everyone who wants to access those sites has a chance to do so.
The official website for Sydney New Years Eve has been posting live capacity updates throughout Wednesday to inform them of when sites will close.
The celebrations for New Years Eve this year have been emphasized as a result of additional police presence and the call for community unity that followed the Bondi incident that occurred on December 1st.
Additionally, police state that New Years Eve will be the largest operation conducted by the NSW Police Service , and that more than 2500 police officers will be deployed to the streets of Sydney.
The Transport settings have been tightened again, as authorities continue to encourage people to leave their cars at home, due to multiple road closures, and the expansion of pedestrian zones.
Police NSW have indicated that there will be a number of road closures and parking restrictions all day. Josh Murray, Secretary for Transport NSW, says that this will be the largest transport operation of the year.
In the same statement, he said that there will be additional transport services commencing in the afternoon and the opening of the Barangaroo Metro station for the first time after midnight.
To facilitate the transportation of people to and from the Inner Harbour area, by providing Metro services every 4 minutes between 3pm and 2am on New Years Day.
Transport for NSW has warned that public transport will not be free on New Years Eve and that you will need an Opal card or use contactless payment methods.
It is important will be vital to ensure that you top up your Opal account before arriving in the city to avoid long queues at vending machines or retailers as more people travel in at peak times.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Sydney will be under cloudy skies with a low chance of rain, wind from the south east and surf conditions considered dangerous alongside coastal activities.
As crowds converge on to the harbour, authorities are reiterating their message plan ahead, expect checkpoints and crowding, and leave when a location reaches maximum capacity.
As the city time to pause in solidarity in remembrances of the Bondi incident approaches. It will be essential to receive live updates and direction from those working on the ground as the city balances its celebrations with necessary precautions.
