Inner West gloats as North Sydney plans $50 fee for NYE fireworks

• Blues Point Reserve fireworks tickets have been set at $50 this New Year’s Eve, with North Sydney Council planning on charging for entry following a dire financial situation.
• The swelling costs and delays of the North Sydney Olympic Pool have been cited as reason for the decision.
• Meanwhile, the Inner West Council has taken the opportunity to emphasise its success.
• READ MORE: Here’s your ultimate guide to Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.

North Sydney’s iconic Blues Points Reserve has been one of the best places to view our city’s class-leading New Year’s Eve fireworks for decades. And it’s always been, like all public spaces in Sydney, completely free.

Yet, for the first time in history, North Sydney council plans to charge for the privilege of watching the NYE fireworks from its prime vantage point. At year’s end, anyone wanting to watch the epic display from the bayfront part will need to cough up $50 per person.

While some are outraged at the idea of having to pay a fee to stand in a public park, it seems to come from necessity as the increasingly cash-strapped council struggles to correct a “serious cashflow” issue: a nasty knock-on effect from swelling costs for North Sydney Pool.

The NYE fireworks fee is just one way the council is attempting to correct the dire financial situation after North Sydney Pool’s ambitious reconstruction costs swelled to $122 million. Others include negotiating support from the wealthy schools in the area, with the institutions discussing additional rates and the sale of at least two public assets.

The most painful pool in Sydney

North Sydney Olympic Pool’s rising costs have been a pain point for the local council for the past decade.

The redevelopment project was approved way back in 2013 but has since faced numerous structural issues, resulting in budget blowouts and even legal action. Building company Icon filed a lawsuit against North Sydney Council for $28 million in compensation after claiming that ongoing design changes and structural issues by council-appointed builders Brewster Hjorth Architects led to major cost overruns.

North Sydney Council then pursued legal action against Brewster Hjorth Architects over the now-dismantled indoor roof design, which triggered the delays and additional costs, but not before rendering the steel frame unusable.

When it is in fact opened, North Sydney Olympic Pool will include a series of modern indoor and outdoor pools, a new grandstand, a children’s water play area, gym, spa, sauna and a brand new Ripples cafe.

It’s always been a Sydney icon, located in Milsons Point right next to Luna Park, and so its redevelopment has been an incredibly large project for North Sydney for over a decade now.

Passing the buck

The entire “sh*t show” (as it has been so accurately described over the past few years) has increased the cost of the pool from $60 to what currently stands at $122 million, absorbing funds that would have otherwise be allocated to services and upgrades as per normal.

Initially, the council voted to have local residents foot the bill, suggesting a rate increase of 87% over two years. But that idea was shot down by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal earlier this year.

And so we arrive at this critical juncture: charge for fireworks, or keep the park free?

To North Sydney Council’s credit, they have chosen to only charge for admission to Blues Point Reserve, leaving the area’s other two major vantage points, Lavender Bay Parklands and Bradfield Park/Mary Booth Reserve, completely free.

How many tickets will be available for Blues Point?

I think those who are deterred by the fee will start to show more love to the other two major parks in North Sydney come New Year’s Eve, but those who are still determined to enter Blues Point will need to hustle for a ticket. There will be a cap of 8,000 tickets sold at $50 a piece, netting the council $400,000 of which $95,000 will be used for costs and $305,000 will be used to cover the staggering financial gap.

Mayor Zoe Baker has said the decision was made with “an exceptionally heavy heart” and that she only sees herself supporting the motion for “one year only”.

“If we do nothing, our 10-year outlook is unsustainable,” said Baker when asked about the council’s options in October last year.

Inner West Council adds salt to the wound

Meanwhile, Inner West Council has slammed North Sydney’s decision to slap a $50 ticket price, describing it as a step in the wrong direction.

“Sydney Harbour belongs to all of us and access should always be free,” said Mayor Darcy Byrne, whose local council has seen impressive success over the past few years.

“While North Sydney Council has been nearly bankrupted by its renovation of North Sydney Pool, we’ve managed to rebuild Ashfield Pool, renovate Dawn Fraser Baths and start work on a massive upgrade to Leichhardt Pool.”

Byrne has gone on record to state that all vantage points in the Inner West will continue to be free of charge this New Year’s Eve, citing strong financial management which has seen a budget surplus and no rate rise for Inner West ratepayers for the next four years.

How do I get tickets to Blues Point for NYE?

News about the fee was only released today so we’re expecting further instructions on exactly how to reserve a paid spot at Blues Point Reserve when NYE planning starts to run towards the end of the year.

Feature image: City of Sydney.