Police get ready for New Year

The masses are descending on New Year hotspots as police gear up for their busiest time.

Up to 50,000 revellers are expected in Whangamata and another 30,000 in Mt Maunganui this Friday for what promises be a huge night of revelry.

And as usual, the towns will both be heavily policed.

By Thursday five team policing units, along with dozens of additional staff, will be patrolling Mt Maunganui and Tauranga where liquor bans are in place 24 hours a day from today until January 5.

Mt Maunganui hasn't had a riot since 2002 and breaches of the liquor ban have almost halved from 644 in 2002 to 390 last year.

Several thousand revellers are expected throughout the Thames-Coromandel area where, like Whangamata, a liquor ban will be in force 24 hours a day until January 6.

About 3000 people are expected in Raglan, about half as many as the year before, now that a liquor ban has been introduced. Last year an all-in brawl erupted on the town's main street.

Taupo is expecting crowds of between 3000 and 4000 but police aren't expecting trouble. Taupo has a fulltime liquor ban in the central business district from December 17 to January 9.

Bay of Islands police will concentrate on Russell and Paihia. Various liquor bans are in place there until January 3. Nelson is expecting about 10,000 visitors.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY