Transcript of Article from: The Sydney Daily Telegraph
Sydney, Australia
7 Days Section
31 December 1997

JAY WALKING SAFELY

FROM patrolling the Harbour to parading on its shores, Water Rats' star Jay Laga'aia has Sydney all wrapped up.

As the city's first New Year's Eve Ambassador, Laga'aia says he wants to ensure that everyone in Sydney for the celebrations, remembers to party with pride.

"I've been talking with a lot of young people out there and trying to get the basic message across that 'yeah, sure it may be uncool to try and find one person in your group who'll be the designated driver, but it's even more uncool if you're dead'," he says.

It is the Samoan-born actor singer-musician's first New Year's Eve in Sydney but he has been "briefed on the trouble spots. He says the celebrations will be spread out around the city to prevent overcrowding.

"After the fireworks, a lot of areas traditionally become dead and everybody runs to the Rocks and hides in crevices there to party away.

"What we're trying to do is spread it between Darling Harbour and Circular Quay."

Traffic will be slowed throughout the area, and public transport services increased in an effort to encourage revellets to leave their cars at home. A waterside concert featuring Human Nature and Mental As Anything, will continue at Wharf 8 until 1.30am,

There will also be concerts for children and adults in Hyde Park until after midnight.

Laga'aia, who plays Senior Constable Tommy Tarira in the Nine Network drama, says it is important that Sydney should start getting its celebrations right in the lead up to 2000.

"We're two years away from the Olympics and everything now is setting platforms and foundations for the eyes of the world to look down under and check us out."

But Laga'aia is keeping a sense of humour about his new role as Master of Ceremonies for Sydney's countdown to 1998.

"To come from South Auckland -Once Were Warriors territory -- to stand next to the Opera House and conduct the proceedings of all these bigwigs, is going to be a hoot," he laughs.

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