Security stepped up in Sydney for New Year’s Eve celebrations

Heavy-duty bollards, trucks, cars, buses and armed police will form a ring of steel around New Year’s Eve revellers as part of a major security operation designed to protect partygoers against vehicle ramming and other terror attacks.

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Heavy-duty bollards, trucks, cars, buses and armed police will form a ring of steel around New Year’s Eve revellers as part of a major security operation designed to protect partygoers against vehicle ramming and other terror attacks.

The Daily Telegraph can also reveal there will be more police officers on the ground than ever before, with more than one million people expected to gather around the Sydney Harbour foreshore on Monday evening.

From left: Victoria DiBlasio, 9, with her brother Joseph, 7, and their cousin Riley Demos, 12, play on the security bollards installed at Bondi ahead of New Year’s Eve celebrations. Picture: Liam Driver

NSW Police will today detail its New Year’s Eve security operation, which will deploy thousands of highly visible officers in addition to mounted police, the dog squad and Police Air Wing above the harbour, as well as Marine Command on the water.

Crowded hot spots such as Circular Quay, The Rocks and North Sydney will be watched closely during the celebrations.

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NSW Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Walton told The Daily Telegraph police had a “complex plan” to keep people safe in those areas.

“Once we’re full, we’re going to message very hard — really don’t go there because the inn’s full, you’re not going to get in … make another decision on the multitude of sites across the city,” Mr Walton said.

He also said revellers could expect to see a variety of fixed and temporary barriers — including water-filled bollards, concrete bollards and a variety of vehicles — being used “to mitigate the risk of vehicles coming into contact with crowds” and block off roads.

Police Minister Troy Grant and Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Walton say security will be stepped up for New Year’s Eve. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Vehicle ramming attacks that cause mass casualties have become increasingly common in recent years. Earlier this month, Victorian man Saeed Boori pleaded guilty to murder almost 12 months after killing an elderly man and injuring 16 others when he drove at 50km/h through an intersection on Flinders St in Melbourne.

Security preparations are already underway in some areas of Sydney such as Bondi Beach, where residents yesterday noticed concrete barriers had been installed on the esplanade.

Bollards were installed along Market, Pitt and Elizabeth streets ahead of the Boxing Day sales.

NSW Police Minister Troy Grant said this year there would be “more police on the ground than ever before … But in order to allow people to have the best time, to ensure they can … move around comfortably, they have to follow the sensible, well-planned pathways and instructions they get from police”.

The terror threat level in   Australia remains at “probable”.