New Year’s Eve fireworks promise to be a real cracker

MELBOURNE’S skyline will be “crowned” with dazzling fireworks in the city’s biggest-ever New Year’s Eve display. Here’s what you need to know to enjoy the night.

This year’s 10-minute midnight fireworks display, synchronised to a soundtrack, is being touted as ‘thicker, heavier and wider’ than ever before.

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MELBOURNE’S skyline will be “crowned” with dazzling fireworks in the city’s biggest-ever New Year’s Eve display.

Tonnes of fireworks will be shot from 22 city buildings to create a midnight sky of “thousands of little white stars”.

Howard & Sons Pyrotechnics’ Rusty Johnson said the jewel in the crown would be specially designed crackling fireworks.

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“This year’s theme is about crowning the city,” he said.

“There will be lots of gold, lots of crackle, lots of sparkle.

“Normally it’s just a silver burst with a crackle in the sky. This year we have got some phenomenal colours behind that and running through it.

“We’ve gone overboard in designing pastel colours, which you don’t normally get in fireworks.”

This year’s New Year’s Eve fireworks theme is about crowning the city.

The 10-minute midnight display, synchronised to a soundtrack, is being touted as “thicker, heavier and wider” than ever before. Mr Johnson said no other city had attempted the “scale” of Melbourne’s fireworks, which will cover almost the entire 8sq km CBD area.

Revellers can watch the sparks fly from anywhere with a view of the skyline, including as far away as Frankston, Dromana, Heidelberg and the Dandenong Ranges.

The celebrations are also expected to draw 450,000 people into the city.

Among the launch sites is one major landmark — currently being kept under wraps for security reasons.

Howard and Sons Pyrotechnics manager Rusty Johnson. Picture: Jason Sammon

“It will be spectacular because it is double-loaded and it’s one of Melbourne’s iconic structures,” Mr Johnson said.

“It looks beautiful down there in the Docklands area — that’s the hint.”

Melbourne city council is splashing $3 million on inner-city New Year’s Eve celebrations, including $532,000 on fireworks and the “majority” on public safety and event management.

Police will beef up numbers throughout Melbourne as the clock counts down to midnight.

Victoria Police commander Russell Barrett said keeping the community safe was the force’s “absolute priority”, just a week after a Christmas Day terror plot on Melbourne was foiled.

“Melbourne CBD is a very popular place for New Year’s revellers and we will have a very visible police presence in the city,” he said.

“Victoria Police encourage the community to continue going about their daily lives and enjoy New Year’s celebrations as the alleged Christmas Day plot poses no ongoing risk to the Victorian community.

The celebrations are expected to draw 450,000 people into the city.

“There will be a visible police presence across the city, with particular emphasis on the City of Melbourne’s designated live sites, places where people meet and congregate and major transport hubs.”

Safety concerns have seen Howard & Sons clamp down further on security around the fireworks, with the storage facility being kept confidential this year.

GPS tracking monitored the company’s trucks and the launch sites are also kept under wraps.

“What we do have is explosive so there is an element of security around it,” Mr Johnson said. “Once it is broken up and goes out into its specific locations, it’s not a real issue.

“But the issue for us is when we are congregated in one place and starting to design and put it all together.

“It is tucked away and working fantastically.”

Map of live fireworks sites at midnight on New Year’s Eve.

MELBOURNE’S FIREWORKS

13.5 tonnes of fireworks

$532,000

10-minute midnight display

Launching from 22 city rooftops and six “aerial shell firing sites”

70 pyrotechnicians to design, prepare and fire them

Synchronised to a unique soundtrack

Broadcast live on FM 99.7 and Channel 7

WHERE TO SEE THEM

Yarra Park for the 9.30pm show

Live sites with entertainment at Docklands, Treasury Gardens, Kings Domain and Flagstaff Gardens for midnight display

Anywhere with views of the city skyline

WEATHER

Min 15

Max 24

Partly cloudy, with a possible shower and light winds in the afternoon and evening

TRANSPORT

Free metropolitan transport from 6pm on
New Year’s Eve until 6am New Year’s Day

TRAINS

City-bound services every 15 mins from 8pm-11pm

Additional services from Flinders St after the 9.30pm fireworks

Trains from the city every 10 mins 12.30am — 1.30am,
every 30 mins 1.30am — 3am and hourly service after that

Flinders St, Southern Cross and Richmond stations will be open all night, while City Loop stations (Parliament, Flagstaff and Melbourne Central stations) will close from 11.45pm

TRAMS

5.30pm and 2am, trams will run every 5-10 mins with some routes diverted because of road closures

2am to first normal Sunday service, trams will run
every 30 mins

BUSES

Leaving Elizabeth St and Melbourne Central, stops on Lonsdale St

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