Melbourne will enter 2015 in its own unique way, Lord Mayor Robert Doyle says.
More than half a million people are expected to gather in the city on Wednesday to celebrate the new year.
Mr Doyle says while Sydney's Harbour Bridge show is spectacular, Melbourne is offering a show as unique as the city itself with seven tonnes of fireworks being set off from 21 locations.
"The Melbourne way is to have 100,000 people, families in Yarra Park, enjoying themselves," he said on Tuesday.
"It's to have 550,000 people all together in the centre of our city, not spread along that beautiful shoreline.
"We do it in a Melbourne way, we don't need to compete."
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Lucinda Nolan doesn't expect Australia's heightened terror warning to keep revellers away, but said it had been taken into account in planning. "We're very confident about the arrangements, and I think Melburnians and the rest of Victorians will come out and celebrate in numbers just because that's the sort of people we are," she said.
Flanked by the state's chief fire officer Peter Rau and Ambulance Victoria operations manager Paul Holman, Ms Nolan urged revellers to be safe and to look after each other.
"We don't want people to wake up with something worse than a hangover," she said.
Mr Rau said illegal fireworks started fires and injured people every year, and this year resources would be better used preparing for a high fire danger weekend ahead.
"Our firefighters do not want to be going to your premises when you set off illegal fireworks, we want to be preparing for the upcoming dangerous weather this weekend," he said.
Mr Holman said ambulance resources have also been deployed across the state after a week marred by multiple drownings and barbecue explosions.
"It's now up to each individual to take responsibility to make sure they have a good time but to stay safe," he said.
"We don't want to see these tragedies."
Premier Daniel Andrews has urged those attending celebrations to have fun but spare a thought for hospitality workers and emergency services.
"Always remember they're working to make sure you have a great night," he said.
Share
