The New South Wales police commissioner, Karen Webb, says she has “grave concerns” about the safety of Sydney’s famous New Year’s Eve fireworks proceeding during a train strike – and she could recommend they be cancelled.
Webb on Friday said every year NSW police patrolled the event “on the basis that 250,000 people can come into the city and then safely leave the city”.
“Leaving the city is based on access to transport, including trains, and if trains aren’t available, and people can’t leave the city, I have very large concerns of the risk that will create to the public, because families won’t be able to get home and they’ll be trapped in the city [with] no way out,” the commissioner told reporters.
“So I haven’t ruled out that I will recommend to government that we cancel the fireworks. It’s that serious.”
Webb said if there was no public transport then “I can’t guarantee safety” and cancelling the fireworks was “certainly an option I need to consider in terms of risk to public safety”.
The premier, Chris Minns, said the state government would take on board any advice from police.
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“That’s why we’re in court [trying to stop industrial action] – the stakes are high. We’ve got a few steps to take before a decision’s being made, but as I said, we would of course take the advice of NSW police and the police commissioner.”
