By the time most people had called it quits on New Year’s morning, Council’s city cleaning crews had begun the massive after-party clean-up.

The spit and polish mission went without a hitch, with streets and parks cleaned of debris by mid morning yesterday, and the beaches pristine even earlier.

Acting Engineering Services Director Bob Cunningham, said balmy weather had enticed very large New Year’s Eve crowds to coastal areas.

“There were huge crowds right along the coast, from Paradise Point to Coolangatta, so our city cleaning crews put in a massive effort to get everything ship-shape as quickly as possible,” said Mr Cunningham.

“Ninety-five staff were on duty from 2.30am New year’s Day. The main CBD areas, such as Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise, were cleaned by 7am, which was a big achievement in itself, considering estimates that there were about 110,000 people in Surfers Paradise alone on New year’s Eve.”

Mr Cunningham said mechanical beach sweepers and staff on foot had cleaned 10 of the major beaches by 9am. All of the city’s foreshore parks and surrounding streets had been cleaned by 10am.

“The cleanliness of our city is an important element of the Gold Coast’s image and it certainly has a significant impact on the experience and perceptions of visitors,” he said.

“Our city cleaning staff play a crucial role in terms of the Gold Coast’s reputation, and they are to be congratulated for pulling out all the stops to make sure everything was returned to normal as quickly as possible after the New Year’s Eve celebrations.”