Compared to
last year's alcohol-fuelled yob-fest, Wollongong's 2010 Australia Day celebration was a family picnic, police said.
By 4pm, just 12 arrests had been made around the harbour foreshore, largely for public order issues such as offensive language and resisting police.
Inspector Steve Hegarty said despite the alcohol-free zones being well promoted, a considerable amount of alcohol was still confiscated, but taken early to minimise the damage.
PHOTO GALLERY: How the region celebrated Australia Day
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EDITORIAL: Ugly face of yobbo Australia"One of our biggest strategies was early intervention on alcohol," Insp Hegarty said.
"We've had a fair amount of intervention with taking alcohol off people. At this stage that early intervention has been working.
"The crowd seems to be more family orientated than last year. The majority have been well behaved."
With last year's event descending into chaos, largely because of visitors to the region, police were monitoring train arrivals yesterday.
Rumours of armed revellers on a train bound for Wollongong left authorities on high alert.
Police received information about 20 people who were on board a southbound train which pulled in to North Wollongong around 4.20pm.
The revellers were believed to be carrying weapons and heading for Wollongong's Belmore Basin.
More than 30 police lined the platform to meet the train, searching passengers and checking identification, but no weapons were found.
Police were also called to another incident 30 minutes later on Crown St after a violent brawl involving four men. One was taken to Wollongong Hospital suffering head wounds.
Insp Hegarty said this year's police response, involving the Operational Support Group, general duties, highway patrol, trail bikes, licensing police, mounted police and the dog squad, was 12 months in the planning with Wollongong City Council.
"We won't breathe easy until after 9pm fireworks and the mass exodus of people has moved through Wollongong, but by comparison to last year, this has been great."
The Lake Illawarra command also reported more family friendly festivities this year.
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