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Thousands of people have taken up key vantage points for New Year\u2019s Eve fireworks, with Chris Minns asking Sydneysiders to \u201csquare your shoulders, puff out your chest and walk out\u201d to celebrate as a show of defiance after the Bondi attack.<\/p>\n
Key viewing sites, including at Mrs Macquarie\u2019s Chair, were already at capacity<\/a> on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n The New South Wales premier said police were putting \u201cextra measures\u201d in place for the city\u2019s public transport system, which many were expected to use before and after Wednesday\u2019s celebrations. He said this was in addition to the presence of more than 2,500 police officers, including some with long-arm weapons<\/a>, on Sydney\u2019s streets.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to show strength and resilience during this period,\u201d Minns said on Wednesday. \u201cAnd if that is that you square your shoulders, puff out your chest and walk out even in the face of genuine community concern, I think that we\u2019ve got an obligation do that.\u201d<\/p>\n The transport minister, John Graham, said Transport for NSW was expecting more than a million people to celebrate New Year\u2019s Eve in the city, including at free viewing sites around the harbour<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than a thousand extra [public transport] services are going to be in place, that\u2019s at 40% up on a normal day,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Public transport services will run continuously for 46 hours, with roads in the CBD closing from noon and train stations close to the harbour closing progressively from 3pm<\/a>.<\/p>\n Minns said police were on \u201chigh alert\u201d, and there were extra measures in place on public transport, but declined to provide detail on tactical operations.<\/p>\n He would not comment on the number of officers carrying long-arms but confirmed they would be embedded in crowds rather than in tactical positions.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll be operational and highly visible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Minns refused to weigh in on whether there should be a federal royal commission into the Bondi attack after the Daily Telegraph reported the state opposition leader, Kellie Sloane, had urged the premier to lobby Anthony Albanese to establish one.<\/p>\n \u201cThey [the federal government] have made their decision,\u201d Minns said. \u201cWe\u2019ve made our decision, we are going ahead with the royal commission in NSW.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not something that\u2019s going to be over and done with 20 days, 30 days. We believe there needs to be fundamental change in NSW to combat antisemitism, to combat extremism in our community.\u201d<\/p>\nRoyal commission calls<\/h2>\n