New Year's Eve represents an annual milestone, but this year's celebrations at Wollongong Harbour will mark an inclusivity milestone 10 years in the making.
Wollongong City Council's regular fireworks display will once again light up the sky over the harbour on 31 December, with over 20,000 people expected to witness the show.
It will include the people in Council's Accessible Viewing Area which, for the last nine years, has ensured people with disability and access requirements can still enjoy a front-row seat.
The prime viewing area also provides easy access to amenities and will see performances from roving entertainers and a visit from PAWS Pet Therapy Dogs before the sky lights up come 9pm.
The designated section will be at Belmore Basin where it was first set up in 2016 which is no small detail according to long-serving volunteer Warwick Erwin, who's helped deliver the accessibility area since its inception.
"Why do I do it? It's the smiles on the faces of a family out celebrating together," Mr Erwin said.
"It's seeing the smiles of those families who can participate in the celebration and experience the joy of watching the fireworks as a whole family. Seeing our very first family from back in 2016 come back every New Year's Eve tells me we got it right, and that all the work put into creating the Accessibility Area is more than worth it."
It continues Council's partnership with disability support services provider The Cram Foundation in recent years as part of a joint commitment to ensuring New Year's Eve celebrations cater to people with varying needs that may otherwise be excluded from festivities.
It also aligns with Council's Disability Inclusion Action Plan (2020-25) that ensures planning for events includes measures that make them more inclusive and accessible for all members of our community.
Lord Mayor of Wollongong Councillor Brown said Council will continue looking at ways to ensure major events can be enjoyed by all.
"Few events bring people together like New Year's Eve and there's no better place to enjoy the festivities than our beautiful Wollongong foreshore," Cr Brown said.
"It's an experience that should be open to everyone, but that wasn't necessarily the case a decade ago. It's why having the Accessible Viewing Area in place has been so important, and I think everyone involved can be proud of the fact it's something we've now provided for the past 10 years.
"Enjoying the fireworks with family and friends is an experience we can easily take for granted, but it's not always as simple for people with varying access requirements and their loved ones. These events need to be open to everyone and providing accessible areas is a top priority in all our event planning."
Registrations for the Accessible Viewing Area for people with disability and access requirements are open until 28 December via this form .
Bookings for reserved accessible parking have now closed, but there will be a drop-off and pick-up point for attendees who are not assigned reserved parking. You can let us know about your drop-off needs through the registration form.
Council's New Year's Eve celebration is an alcohol free, family friendly event, highlighted by the traditional 9pm fireworks display.
It will also feature the Wollongong Summer Carnival in Lang Park featuring rides for all ages, and food trucks. Osborne Park will also be a culinary melting pot, Italian, Mexican, Spanish, Japanese, Cambodian, Asian, and Turkish cuisines offered by various food trucks.
Fireworks will last for approximately 10 minutes and go ahead in most weather conditions. Keep an eye on Council's Facebook page for any weather announcements.
Those attending the event are encouraged to use public transport, including the Gong Shuttle Bus, to get to and from the event. Information regarding transport options and road closures is available a Council's website .
