Jason Hincks’ picture of people at the NYE Above the Harbour event waiting in line for up to three hours. Source: Facebook

Benedict Brook news.com.au

AN ANGRY reveller who attended a shambolic New Year’s Eve party in Sydney has slammed organisers’ offer of a partial refund as an “insult”, and accused them of “trying to shut people up”.

Tickets for NYE Above the Harbour at the Domain’s Tarpeian Precinct, just behind the Sydney Opera House, cost up to $500 a head. They came with the promise of five-star food stalls and entertainment.

But those who forked out the cash have demanded refunds and threatened legal action, complaining of awful food, three-hour lines to get said food, more huge lines for the toilets and ordinary music.

“The event was a complete joke and disaster!,” Chris Lee posted on Facebook. “I cannot believe you charged us over $400 for an ‘all inclusive’ event with only three food stalls for thousands of people! We had to wait 2.5 hours to get fed some disgusting dried up pork buns that tasted like cardboard! I wouldn’t feed that to my dog. We didn’t pay $400 to spend NYE waiting in line.

“The music was also bloody horrible! The speakers closest to the Opera House kept cutting out and you were playing the same Bieber song over and over again.”

Chris Lee said he would not have fed the food to his dogs. Source: Facebook Source: Supplied

Today, the event’s organiser, Mothership Media, apologised and announced disappointed partygoers would get a partial refund. But with the refund capped at $100 per person, it amounts to only one-fifth of the highest ticket price.

“While many patrons enjoyed the event, the organisers greatly regret that a number of patrons have complained about certain event elements,” said the statement.

“The organisers and caterers empathise with patrons and are themselves disappointed with the issues that have arisen.

“They have poured significant time, resources and personal effort into the event’s planning, and are personally affected by the unfavourable outcome of their efforts.”

The statement went on to say that the food offerings “while well intended, were difficult to produce at speed,” but that there were “no recorded walkouts” prior to the initial 9pm fireworks.

For the 3600 people in attendance, over 5000 meals plus desserts were served throughout the night and 30,000 drinks were served, the organisers stated.

Pretty terrible planning and organization for the #NYEabovetheharbour event in #Sydney #BotanicGardens . Incredibly long lines. Awful — Mark Garrison (@MarkGarrison1) December 31, 2015

However, members of a Facebook group set up since the event called ‘Refuse to be Ripped OFF- NYE Above the Harbour Scam’ have said the refund offer wasn’t good enough.

Attendee Jessica Bragg tweeted angrily: “My view of the 9pm fireworks”, with an image of the silhouette of a tree against the night sky.

Many queued for hours and missed the fireworks for food they said left a lot to be desired. Source: Facebook Source: Supplied

Talking to news.com.au, Christine Dunn, from Redfern in southern Sydney, said those in attendance should get a full refund for a disastrous event.

“Every single paragraph of [the statement from the organisers] is an insult for people who went along that night,” she said.

“I’LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN’

Ms Dunn said she had been attending free public New Year’s events in Sydney for 20 years but she and her cousin paid $390 each this time so they could “relax and enjoy the event”. But it was not to be.

“This is the first paid New Year’s event I have ever been to and the worst event I’ve ever been to. I’ll never do it again.

“A friend of mine went to Barangaroo, paid $30 for a picnic and had no issues; I paid almost $400 and had no food and no drinks.”

While many people had a prime position for the fireworks, some complained that the sheer number of people meant many had their views blocked as well having to suffer from the dire service.

“The meals were crap,” Ms Dunn said, and the queues were so long “there were families sitting around us that didn’t spend the night together. They were furious.”

People were urinating by the trees because the loos were so busy, leading Ms Dunn not to drink for fear of being caught short.

NOWHERE ELSE TO GO

She took particularly umbrage at the assertion no partygoers left the event.

“We had nowhere else to go. The Opera House was shut by that point, Mrs Macquarie’s Chair was shut, where were we hoping to go? We were stuck there.”

Ms Dunn said she was insulted by the offer of a partial refund.

“You’re either liable or not so what’s the $100 about? They’re trying to shut people up and we won’t be shut up.”

Australia welcomes 2016 2:59

The world has watched on as Sydney put on one of its most spectacular New Year’s fireworks displays.

January 1st 2016 4 days ago /video/video.news.com.au/News/