Teen suffers facial burns after illegal New Year’s Eve firework mishap

Eleven people were arrested on 16 charges in South Bank, the Valley and the CBD. The majority of charges were for anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related incidents, including public nuisance and liquor offences.

“We are pleased that the vast majority of people used their common sense and had a wonderful evening,” Acting Superintendent Emma Fletcher said.

NSW Police also praised revellers in Sydney, where more than a million people swarmed the main vantage points around the harbour for the city’s New Year fireworks extravaganza.

Victoria police were also pleased with crowd behaviour in Melbourne, but disappointed by hundreds of illegal fireworks set off across the city.

Police are investigating three New Year’s Eve grass fires believed to be caused by illegal fireworks in Melbourne. It comes after a 19-year-old Victorian man died on Christmas Day after a firework explosion in Kalkallo, in Melbourne’s outer-north.

In his new-year message, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said despite times still being tough the nation could head into 2025 optimistically with wages rising and inflation falling.

Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton urged Australians to “reignite our national confidence and our sense of hope” – by electing the Liberal-National coalition in 2025.

Here’s some of what Australians can look forward to, or not, in 2025:

Economy

The wait for mortgage relief drags on with the Commonwealth Bank and bond markets suggesting the Reserve Bank of Australia may start easing interest rates in February, while the other big four banks tip a May start.

Following some good news that more people have been finding employment, more than a million Australians will get an immediate new-year bonus with welfare payments for young people, students, carers and others rising under indexation to keep up with inflation.

Politics

With a federal election due by May 17, bookmakers are tipping the coalition to win while the latest polls suggest a knife-edge outcome.

Australia anxiously waits to see if Donald Trump will disrupt the nation’s trade with new tariffs and the AUKUS defence arrangement after being sworn in as US president on January 20.

Weather

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts warmer-than-average temperatures across the continent over the next three months and a wetter-than-average season for large parts of eastern, western and southern Australia.

with AAP

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