Evening News Bulletin 31 December 2023
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TRANSCRIPT:
- Sydney prepares to be one of the first major cities in the world to bring in the New Year;
- An investigation underway into a mid-air incident between Bali and Melbourne;
- Some boats still sailing in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
Thousands of people have already began gathering at vantage points across Sydney’s iconic harbour in the countdown for the end of the year, one of the first major cities to celebrate the new year.
More than a million people are expected to flock to the harbour foreshore and surrounding vantage points.
New South Wales Police Superintendent Anthony Bell says authorities are out in force to ensure everyone has a good time – safely.
“This evening, today and this evening, is our largest police operation for the year. All of the areas across the state and not just metropolitan Sydney, regional New South Wales, our northern coastal areas are hosting their own New Year’s Eve events. And wherever there’ll be a public gathering, there’ll be significant police resources in support of the landholder, the organisers and the security company, to make sure police are there in the interest of community safety.”
Meanwhile the New Year will ring in major changes for some government policies and benefits.
From January 1, there’ll be a national ban on importing disposable, single-use vapes, irrespective of nicotine content or therapeutic claims.
Also on the national level, pensioners and veterans will be able to keep earning more before their payments are reduced under a permanent adjustment to the rules.
In Victoria, a statewide ban on gas connections in new homes and government buildings will come into effect, with all-electric homes part of the state government’s plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
And in the ACT, thicker plastic bags will be banned in the final stage of a crackdown on single-use plastic.
An investigation is under way after a passenger was restrained on a Qantas flight from Bali to Melbourne.
Video footage posted to social media indicates Qantas staff and fellow passengers holding the passenger down after an alleged disturbance on flight QF46 earlier today [[Sun 31 Dec]].
Australian Federal Police say they boarded the aircraft once it arrived in Melbourne and questioned the 28-year-old from Victoria.
They say no charges have yet been laid.
A man has appeared in court over the death of a woman in Adelaide.
The 32 year old woman died in hospital after being hit by a car and sustaining serious injuries.
The 33 year old man is due to reappear in court in March on a range of charges, including death by dangerous driving.
Police allege the man and woman were known to each other.
Authorities in Brisbane say they won’t be changing their plans for New Year’s Eve celebrations, despite heatwave conditions in parts of Queensland – and thunderstorm warnings in others.
More than 80,000 fireworks will illuminate the skyline in what is expected to be the biggest display in Brisbane’s history.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued heatwave warnings for Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia into the New Year, while the south is predicted to face milder conditions.
Bureau forecaster Jonathon How says Marble Bar in the Territory could hit 49 degrees – and that is just for starters.
“Many other locations right across the north – climbing up 5 to 10 above average, high 30 – 40s. Really hot conditions across northern Australia.”
End of year travel plans have been disrupted for thousands of passengers in the UK, with Eurostar cancelling all 41 trains linking London with the European mainland.
The rail operator says the cancellations are due to flooding in railway tunnels in England, reported to be under the River Thames near Ebbsfleet, east of London.
Television footage shows water gushing into one of the tunnels and covering the track, while at St Pancras station in London, hundreds of stranded passengers with suitcases are waiting on the concourse.
These passengers have told BBC News they’re not happy about the cancellations.
WOMAN: “I am really, really desperate to be with my family.”
MAN 1: “We could have booked flights today. And I wish we had. So I will question whether Eurostar is the best option.”
MAN 2: “A lot of people are just sitting down and waiting. Looks like they’re in for the long haul.”
The Sydney to Hobart yacht race is not quite over, despite Alive being named as the overall winner and the supermaxi LawConnect taking line honours.
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia says of the 103 starters, most boats are now finished, 18 have retired, but an approximate 14 boats are still at sea.
Club Commodore Arthur Lane says their status is typical of the race, which he has described as a test of endurance.
“I think you will get the vast majority of them before midnight of the 31st (of December)… We will be here. The race doesn’t stop til the last boat comes in, so we’re looking forward to that.”
