New Year's Eve revellers have been warned to be on their best behaviour as police promise a "swift response" to troublemakers, amid fire risks from illegal fireworks.
Thousands of officers are deploying across Victoria from Sunday, including in the Melbourne CBD and the foreshores in St Kilda, Geelong, Lorne and the Mornington Peninsula, as they work to ensure public safety.
The celebrations are touted as the biggest night for Melbourne city, with more than half a million people expected to stream through the city, bringing $18 million in economic benefits, Victorian Police Minister Anthony Carbines said.
"We want you to come into town. We want you to have a great time, to do so respectfully and safely," he said on Sunday.
Melbourne's CBD has been declared a designated area under the Control of Weapons Act from Monday, with police having extra powers to randomly search people within the area for weapons and remove them.
St Kilda foreshore and Geelong CBD will be designated areas for New Year’s Eve.
Police said they are prepared to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of revellers.
"From the roads to railway stations, foreshores to key regional areas, there will be an around-the-clock, highly visible police presence right across the state," Superintendent Troy Papworth said.
"We’ve seen overwhelmingly positive behaviour at New Year’s Eve celebrations in recent years, with only a small number of people choosing to do the wrong thing.
"Rest assured, anyone heading out to cause trouble can expect a swift response from police."
End-of-year celebrations usually mean an explosion of illegal fireworks, with Victoria Police warning about the dangers after more than 60 incidents last year.
Fire Rescue Victoria Deputy Commissioner Joshua Fischer urged people to leave the fireworks shows to the professionals.
"They are dangerous for people who are not licensed or experienced in operating and using them," he said.
A 19-year-old Kalkallo was killed after fireworks exploded in his face, separately, a 30-year-old Frankston woman was hospitalised with serious upper body injuries after being struck by fireworks on Christmas Day.
While weather conditions will be milder on New Year's Eve, the fire danger level remains moderate to high across the state.
"It's extremely dry so if these fireworks do occur in areas where there's grassland or dry bushland, we're likely to see fires ignite," Mr Fischer said.
"They're going to spread very, very quickly, even under moderate or high fire danger."
Those caught with illegal fireworks face up to five years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.
In central Melbourne, midnight fireworks spanning 27 buildings will ring in the new year, along with 60 laser projections to light up the skyline.
The celebration would be among the biggest and best the city had experienced, with "more lasers than a Star Wars movie", Lord Mayor Nick Reece said.
Across Victoria, public transport will be free from 6pm on New Year's Eve to 6am on New Year's Day.
