Image: City of Sydney/Facebook
Sydney’s iconic New Year’s Eve fireworks are at risk of being cancelled as industrial action threatens to force drastic cuts to train services, Police Commissioner Karen Webb told a beleaguered city on Friday.
Commissioner Webb said she had “grave concerns” that there would be insufficient transport to move revellers out of the crowded city centre.
“I haven’t ruled out that I will recommend to government that we cancel the fireworks – it’s that serious,” the commissioner told reporters.
“Each year, we police New Year’s Eve 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.”
Webb said that if trains aren’t available to move revellers out of the city centre, a public safety risk will exist and “families won’t be able to get home and they’ll be trapped in the city. No way out.”
“When it’s time to go home, and the fireworks are over, the job is to get them out safely and quickly, and if there’s no transport, we can’t do that, and I can’t guarantee safety.”
Meanwhile, Premier Chris Minns admitted that although negotiations between the government and unions were ongoing, the parties were “miles apart” and said that railway union demands were unaffordable.
The New South Wales Government is seeking to block industrial action on economic and public safety grounds, with the case to be heard before the Fair Work Commission on Christmas Eve. Minns said that the government will not cave to union demands regardless of the outcome.
“I can’t promise that we will win those court cases, and I want to make it absolutely clear that even if we don’t win in the Fair Work Commission or through the court process, I cannot be dragged back to the negotiating table and pay an exorbitant amount of money with a blank cheque.”
Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) NSW secretary Toby Warnes rejected that industrial action would pose a safety risk, searingly accusing the government of “resorting to hysteria”.
“The information that the police commissioner has in terms of the disruptions is not likely to be correct,” Warnes said.
“The New South Wales Government has resorted to scaring the people of New South Wales because it wants to pursue a particular industrial strategy and support its case in the Fair Work Commission, and has asked the police commissioner to come out and up the rhetoric about New Year’s Eve and cancelling fireworks.”
RTBU NSW president Craig Turner said on Friday that commuters “shouldn’t be worried” though saying that trains will not be running to timetable.
Chaotic week
Travellers have been warned to expect disruptions across the suburban and intercity networks, after the Federal Court ruled in favour of the union having the freedom to employ a variety of measures in the course of its efforts to secure higher pay for railway workers. Work bans are likely to affect intercity travellers most severely.
Transport minister Jo Haylen has vowed that the government will pursue “all legal options” to prevent industrial action on New Year’s Eve.
On Friday, Warnes recanted his previous estimation that services could be halved by the year’s final night, noting that more staff will be working.
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