Newcastle foreshore New Year’s Eve celebrations scrapped due to coronavirus
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes announced the cancellation of the foreshore New Year’s Eve celebrations, adding a fresh focus would be on planning for smaller alternative celebrations throughout the city.
Newcastle
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The Newcastle foreshore’s New Year’s Eve fireworks and concert have been shelved because of ongoing risks associated with mass gatherings and COVID-19.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes announced the cancellation on Friday, adding a fresh focus would be on planning for smaller alternative celebrations throughout the city.
“The decision to not go ahead with this year’s fireworks and concert event is a sad one to make, but it has been made with our community’s safety in mind,” Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.
“As we have seen both in Australia and overseas, the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to worsen quickly, so we naturally have concerns around the delivery of an event that attracts between thirty and forty thousand people into the Foreshore,’’ Cr Nelmes said.
“Our New Year’s Eve fireworks event is one of the city’s most vibrant and exciting occasions with activities and entertainment for the whole family.
“Through liaison with key stakeholders including NSW police, the city has determined that the transport of thousands of people into and out of the foreshore precinct would almost certainly lead to pinch points constituting a mass gathering where social distancing is impossible to maintain.’’
The council said an estimated 30,000 people visited the foreshore for last year’s celebrations.
Cr Nelmes said the council would now investigate other possibilities, reliant on any restrictions which may be in place in the lead-up to the new year.
“This revised program will allow us to plan safer opportunities for the community to celebrate together with more space and smaller crowd numbers,’’ she said.
Acting Newcastle City police district commander, Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey, said the risk of large gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic remained of a high concern.
“NSW police will respond to whatever decision the council makes regarding the event,’’ he said.
“However, the dangers posed by moving tens of thousands of people into and out of the foreshore precinct for the 9pm fireworks display remains quite high in the current pandemic conditions.”