Illegal fireworks displays resulting in several injuries marred otherwise largely peaceful New Year’s Eve celebrations around Australia, with two girls hospitalised in Sydney and a man suffering serious facial injuries in Melbourne.
While police largely declared the evening a success, ambulance services in Victoria saw emergency incidents more than triple in some parts of the state.
Hundreds of thousands of revellers packed the Sydney Harbour foreshore and vantage points in central Melbourne on Wednesday night to watch the official fireworks displays heralding the start of the new year.
Tensions had been heightened in Sydney in the lead-up to revelries, after 15 people were killed in the Bondi beach massacre on 14 December. In addition to new firearms laws and anti-protest legislation passed by state’s parliament in the week before Christmas, the New South Wales police commissioner authorised police to carry long-arm weapons during New Year’s Eve events in Sydney.
In Sydney, the crowd observed a minute’s silence and held their phone torch lights aloft at 11pm, while a menorah was projected on to the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and a dove and the words “peace” and “unity” displayed.
Sign up: AU Breaking News email
More than 2,500 police officers were deployed in the Sydney metropolitan area for the evening but police said the night was “largely incident-free”, though at least 38 arrests were made for offences including assault, affray, assault police and offensive conduct.
Assistant commissioner Peter McKenna said most people were well behaved.
“Sydney welcomed in 2026 with iconic fireworks and we saw people come together after a heartbreaking month,” he said. “Most revellers enjoyed a safe and trouble-free night.
“Unfortunately, police were kept busy by a handful of people doing the wrong thing, particularly a number of illegal fireworks being set off, resulting in several injuries.”
In one incident, emergency services were called to Bright Park, Guildford, at about 9.30pm after reports a large crowd was setting off fireworks.
A 12-year-old girl and a 14-year-old girl were treated for non-life-threatening injuries before they were taken to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Another man was treated by paramedics at the scene. Four people were arrested for allegedly throwing fireworks.
In Western Australia, police charged a 19-year-old man in Kalamunda for allegedly throwing a firecracker into dry grass that ignited a bushfire. More than 2000 homes in the area lost power and the fire came within close proximity of homes and people, police said. The fire had consumed more than 25ha of bushland and was still burning on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile 313 fireworks-related incidents were reported in Victoria, several of which resulted in serious injuries, Victoria police said.
Among them were a 31-year-old Mickleham man, who was hospitalised with serious facial injuries, and a 43-year-old Corio man, who had suffered a serious finger injury, police said.
St Kilda and Geelong were declared “designated areas” before the festivities, giving police the power to conduct pat-downs, search cars and move people on without a warrant or reasonable grounds. The designation followed Melbourne’s CBD, Docklands, Southbank and other parts of the city centre in November being declared a “designated area” until 29 May 2026 – a move human rights and legal groups described as a “vast overreach”.
Among those searched over the night was a 17-year-old boy at Flinders Street railway station, who police said was found with an angle grinder, balaclava, gloves and items that they suspected to be used to break and enter. The teenager was charged and will face a children’s court at a later date.
“Overwhelmingly we saw great behaviour by crowds overnight with people heeding our advice to celebrate safely and responsibly,” acting commander Belinda Jones said, noting there were 18 arrests over the evening.
“There was a small number of people who took it too far and chose to do the wrong thing. All reported incidents were resolved quickly ensuring no disruption to the wider community. I want to thank every police officer who assisted across the state to ensure Victorians could enjoy the festivities safely.”
A rooftop garden caught alight after a firework mishap at a Treasury Place building; the blaze was quickly extinguished and no injuries were reported.
Ambulance Victoria said it was one of the busiest New Year’s Eve periods they had seen in recent years, with a 150% increase in incidents in Melbourne between midnight and 2am, and a 300% increase in Geelong and the Barwon region on previous years.
Paramedics were dispatched to more than 80 emergency cases in central Melbourne, with 62 patients treated and 33 transported to hospital, Ambulance Victoria said on Thursday.
The Ambulance Victoria chief executive, Jordan Emery, said it was a much busier night than in previous years.
“Our paramedics treated a number of high acuity cases, including stabbings, serious assaults and fireworks-related injuries, alongside the usual mix of medical emergencies, alcohol related illness, trips and falls,” Emery said.
“Our teams worked exceptionally hard under sustained pressure to ensure patients received timely and appropriate care.
“The support from first aid providers was outstanding and made a real difference. By managing a large number of lower acuity patients on site, they allowed our paramedics to focus on the most serious and time critical emergencies.”
Police also responded to incidents in Brisbane and South Australia and there were several arrests made – including that of a man accused of threatening police with an axe in Adelaide.
SA police alleged they had spotted a man riding a suspected stolen moped and attempted to stop him but he continued over a railway line “where he stopped and presented an axe”. He was arrested and charged with a number of offences.
SA Police Assistant Commissioner John De Candia said there were 78 arrests across the state over the new year celebration period, with statistics very similar to previous years, though there was “the usual degree of some poor decisions for some”, including a 37-year-old man from Mount Gambier who was allegedly driving with a recorded blood alcohol reading of 0.339 – nearly seven times the legal limit.
In Brisbane, police estimated about 40,000 people joined the festivities taking place across Southbank, Howard Smith Wharves and Queens Wharf on Wednesday evening. There were only seven arrests made throughout the events.
“We are pleased that the vast majority of attendees used their common sense and had a wonderful evening,” acting chief Supt Heath McQueen said.
Festivities were largely unmarred in Tasmania, with Insp John Toohey saying: “While event precincts across the state were busy throughout the night, and there were some arrests, we’re very happy with the overall behaviour of the Tasmanian community.”
Emergency services also successfully rescued a man who had fallen into the water at the Elizabeth Street Pier, Hobart, about 3.30am.
In the ACT, a 19-year-old Gilmore man had his vehicle seized and licence suspended after he was allegedly caught driving at 198km/h in a 90km/h zone in Fyshwick overnight.
