Luna Park’s incredible act to make sure NYE party goes ahead amid fears Sydney’s famous fireworks could be cancelled
Luna Park has launched a legal action to ensure their annual New Year’s Eve party goes ahead as planned as rail strikes threaten to shut the event down.
The popular entertainment venue in Milsons Point, on Sydney’s lower north shore, is usually packed with families on December 31 each year.
Luna Park took the extraordinary measure on Saturday night, telling Nine News it was ‘extremely concerned at the timing of the industrial action’.
It also ‘remained hopeful’ the industrial action launched by the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) would be resolved soon.
Around 6,500 tickets have been sold to revellers ahead of the New Year’s Eve party.
The move comes after the Federal Court gave the union the green light to launch the strikes on Thursday with dozens of events scheduled in the city and Christmas just days away.
The Federal Court dismissed a technical argument by the NSW state government as they desperately tried to invalidate the industrial action.
The move caused chaos across Sydney’s rail network with scores of train delays and cancellations on Friday.
The popular entertainment venue (pictured) in Milsons Point, on Sydney ‘s lower north shore, is usually packed with families on December 31 each year
Dozens of events in the Harbour City such as the New Year’s Eve fireworks display (pictured) could be affected by the ongoing industrial action
The state’s Transport Minister Jo Haylen (pictured) said the industrial action needs to be avoided as the strikes will force Sydney to come to a standstill
Disruptions continued on Saturday with up to eighteen train services cancelled by mid-morning with the issue impacting around 360 trips and sparking delays of up to 40 minutes.
Earlier on Friday, NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she wouldn’t hesitate in recommending to the state government that the New Year’s Eve fireworks at Darling Harbour be cancelled.
Ms Webb said rail strikes had sparked safety concerns for the 250,000 people who rely on public transport to get in and out of Sydney’s CBD on New Year’s Eve.
‘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,’ Commissioner Webb said.
‘Families won’t be able to get home and they’ll be trapped in the city with no way out.’
The grim suggestion prompted a fiery response from RTBU NSW secretary Toby Warnes, who said the commissioner is ‘resorting to scaring the people’.
‘If the fireworks are cancelled, that will be on the government completely,’ Mr Warnes said.
He said the union was ‘devastated’ that Ms Webb had threatened to cancel the fireworks display after negotiations with the government fell apart more than 48 hours earlier.
Disruptions to Sydney’s rail network continued on Saturday with up to eighteen train services cancelled by mid-morning (pictured commuters at a train station in Sydney)
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb (pictured) she wouldn’t hesitate in recommending to the state government that the New Year’s Eve fireworks at Darling Harbour be cancelled
The state’s Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the industrial action needs to be avoided as the strikes will force Sydney to come to a standstill.
‘We cannot have industrial action at this time of the year, no amount of industrial action is tolerable,’ Ms Haylen said.
‘Without reliable train services, it is impossible to move millions of people who come to the harbour foreshore.
‘The only way to get people in and out is through reliable train services.’
Mr Warnes said on Friday that the RTBU would abide by the instructions from the Fair Work Commission if it ordered industrial action to cease.
‘That is a matter for the state government and the Fair Work Commission,’ he said.
‘We would prefer if there was no interruption at all.’
Services on the T1 North Shore Line, T2 Leppington and Inner West Line, T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line and the T8 Airport Line were impacted heavily on Saturday.
Commissioner Webb’s suggestion prompted a fiery response from RTBU NSW secretary Toby Warnes (pictured), who said the commissioner is ‘resorting to scaring the people’
Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matthew Longland said passengers experienced delays about up to an hour in between train services.
Commuters who made plans to attend the the Randwick races, Carols in the Domain and Big Bash cricket were warned to expect significant delays and cancellations.
The state government is set to meet with the Fair Work Commission on December 23 to try to stop the industrial action being extended to New Year’s Eve.
The RTBU’s work ban is expected to be lifted on Sunday, however commuters have been warned to expect disruptions for most of the day.
The industrial action is in relation a pay dispute with the union demanding a 32 per cent pay rise over four years or 8 per cent a year.
The union and the NSW government hope to reach an agreement before Christmas.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Luna Park for comment.
