Luna Park has launched legal action to ensure its annual New Year’s Eve party goes ahead as planned, as railway strikes threaten to call off the event.
The popular entertainment venue at Milsons Point on Sydney’s lower north shore is usually packed with families on December 31 each year.
Luna Park took the extraordinary measure on Saturday night, counting nine news was “extremely concerned about the timing of the strike.”
He also “remains hopeful” that the strike launched by the Railway, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) will be resolved soon.
Around 6,500 tickets have been sold to revelers ahead of the New Year’s Eve party.
The move comes after the Federal Court gave the union the green light to begin strikes on Thursday with dozens of events scheduled in the city just days before Christmas.
The Federal Court dismissed a technical argument by the New South Wales state government as they desperately tried to invalidate the industrial action.
The move caused chaos on Sydney’s rail network with dozens of train delays and cancellations on Friday.
The popular entertainment venue (pictured) at Milsons Point on Sydney’s lower north shore is usually packed with families on December 31 each year.
Dozens of events in the port city, such as the New Year’s Eve fireworks (pictured), could be affected by the ongoing industrial strike.
State Transport Minister Jo Haylen (pictured) said strike action needs to be avoided as strikes will force Sydney to a standstill.
Disruptions continued on Saturday with up to eighteen train services canceled by mid-morning, affecting around 360 journeys and causing delays of up to 40 minutes.
Earlier on Friday, New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she would not hesitate to recommend to the state government that the New Year’s Eve fireworks at Darling Harbor be cancelled.
Webb said the rail strikes had raised concerns about the safety of the 250,000 people who rely on public transport to get in and out of Sydney’s CBD on New Year’s Eve.
“If there are no trains available and people can’t get out of town, I’m very concerned about the risk that that will pose to the public,” Commissioner Webb said.
“Families will not be able to return home and will be trapped in the city with no way out.”
The grim suggestion sparked a fierce response from RTBU NSW secretary Toby Warnes, who said the commissioner is “resorting to scaring people”.
“If the fireworks are cancelled, it will be the full responsibility of the government,” Mr Warnes said.
He said the union was “devastated” that Ms Webb had threatened to cancel the fireworks show after negotiations with the government failed more than 48 hours earlier.
Disruptions to Sydney’s rail network continued on Saturday with up to eighteen train services canceled by mid-morning (pictured, commuters at a train station in Sydney).
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb (pictured) would not hesitate to recommend to the state government that the New Year’s Eve fireworks at Darling Harbor be cancelled.
The state’s Transport Minister, Jo Haylen, said the strike needed to be avoided as it would force Sydney to come to a standstill.
“We cannot go on strike at this time of year; no strike is tolerable,” Ms Haylen said.
‘Without reliable rail services, it is impossible to transport millions of people arriving to the port coast.
“The only way people can get in and out is through reliable rail services.”
Warnes said on Friday the RTBU would comply with the Fair Work Commission’s instructions if it ordered the strike to end.
“That is a matter for the state government and the Fair Work Commission,” he said.
“We would prefer there to be no interruption.”
Services on the T1 North Shore, T2 Leppington and Inner West, T3 Liverpool and Inner West and T8 Airport lines were severely affected on Saturday.
Commissioner Webb’s suggestion sparked a fierce response from RTBU NSW secretary Toby Warnes (pictured) who said the commissioner is “resorting to scaring people”.
Sydney Trains chief executive Matthew Longland said passengers experienced delays of up to an hour between train services.
Travelers who made plans to attend Randwick races, Carols in the Domain and Big Bash cricket were warned to expect significant delays and cancellations.
The state government will meet the Fair Work Commission on December 23 to try to prevent the strike from extending into New Year’s Eve.
The ban on working at the RTBU is expected to be lifted on Sunday, although commuters have been warned there will be disruption for most of the day.
The industrial action relates to a pay dispute with the union demanding a pay rise of 32 per cent over four years or 8 per cent annually.
The union and the New South Wales government hope to reach an agreement before Christmas.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Luna Park for comment.