Maitland kept it classy through the weekend’s New Year’s celebrations with police and ambulance reporting no major disturbances across the city.
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Maitland City Council’s riverbank fireworks display attracted more than 10,000 people to the centre of town for the 9pm launch.
Responding to a video posted by councilor Philip Penfold, residents praised the event.
“Maitland fireworks never disappoint, great work. I was surprised how many people were in there as well,” one person said.
“Sydney! Eat your heart out!” another wrote.
Maitland police and a spokesman for Ambulance NSW told Fairfax Media there had been no major problems during New Year’s Eve.
Both emergency services praised the Maitland crowd for its good behaviour.
Across the state things weren’t so calm, however. Particularly in Sydney where more than 1 million people packed in to party into the new year.
Emergency call takers answered close to 2000 calls for emergency medical assistance across the state between 4pm New Year’s Eve and 3am New Year’s Day.
NSW Ambulance Assistant Commissioner Jamie Vernon many of those calls were related to violence or for patients “suffering extreme intoxication and related injuries.”
“We treated a number of patients for fractures, injuries sustained from falls from walls, fences and wharfs, a host of injuries from assaults and people suffering drug and alcohol intoxication,” he said.
