Balls Head Reserve in Waverton will be closed for New Year’s Eve.

North Sydney Council decided in a recent meeting that the bushland is too fragile to support crowds of visitors on a rowdy night such as NYE.

In previous years, the bushland has been trampled, branches snapped to make way for picnic blankets.

‘The damage sets bushland rehabilitation back months, years, or even decades,’ says North Sydney Mayor, Zoe Baker. ‘There are also serious concerns about public safety in the unlit reserve as well as impacts on … original Aboriginal cultural heritage.’