NYE revellers urged to party responsibly

New Year's Eve revellers are urged to party responsibly as Melbourne skyline's is set to explode in a spectacular fireworks show, shooting from 22 CBD rooftops.

fireworks

Fireworks go off at midnight to celebrate New Year's Eve in Melbourne, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015. (AAP Image/David Crosling) NO ARCHIVING Source: AAP

Police are urging New Year's Eve revellers to party responsibly as more than 350,000 prepare to pack the Melbourne CBD to ring in 2019.

Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said police will swarm the city and other hot spots across the state where crowds gather, cracking down on anti social antics, violence and drug and drink drivers.

"We're encouraging you to just be sensible, be responsible," Mr Patton told reporters on Monday.

"By all means have a few drinks. But be mindful you don't want to wake up tomorrow and be impacted by something you did that's going to adversely impact you for the rest of your life."

Mr Patton said there was no specific terrorism threat but police would not be complacent.

"If you're intending to come in to the city or any other area where there's New Year's Eve activities and you're intending to cause trouble, my advice is simply this - do not come because you will be arrested," he said.

Police will use specialist squads, including the water police, mounted branch, public order response team and air wing.

The highly-trained critical incident response team squad will also patrol the CBD, inner city areas and places of mass gathering, ready to respond to high-risk incidents.

Entertainment, food trucks and firework vantage points are open until 1am in Kings Domain, Docklands, Treasury Gardens and Flagstaff Gardens.

There will be two fireworks displays at 9.30pm in Yarra Park and at midnight.

Months of planning have gone into the show that includes more than 36,500 rooftop effects being fired from 22 CBD buildings

Party-goers will celebrate at riverside bars and parties and at four family-friendly live sites.

Revellers are urged to take public transport, which is free on all trams, trains, V/Line services and buses between 6pm New Year's Eve until 6am on New Year's Day.

Transit police and Protective Services Officers will be deployed on trains and at train stations around Melbourne and key regional hubs.

Police will also be targeting motorists who are drug and alcohol affected, speeding, driving dangerously, on their phones or distracted.

Mr Patton has warned against use of illegal fireworks and the risk of significant injury or death.

Revellers are also urged to avoid drugs, after a 22-year-old Queenslander died while attending the Lost Paradise Music Festival at Glenworth Valley on Saturday night.

"You don't know what's in them. You don't know how much you're risking your life," Mr Patton said.


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Source: AAP




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