Ambulance services have worked tirelessly overnight to treat drug and alcohol affected New Year’s Eve revellers, with New South Wales paramedics attending more than 2300 calls overnight.

NSW Ambulance attended more than 1000 calls for emergency medical assistance in the Sydney CBD alone.

• In pictures: New Year’s Eve around the world
• Get happy: 25 (realistic) New Year’s resolutions

NSW Ambulance Assistant Commissioner Mark Beesley said midnight to 3am was the busiest time for paramedics, who attended 440 incidents in three hours.

A crowd of 1.6 million people was expected at Sydney’s harbour.

In Victoria, it was much a quieter night, with Ambulance Victoria paramedics responded to 150 calls in the Melbourne CBD and inner suburbs.

Ambulance Victoria commander Anthony De Wit said this was a great result given an estimated 500,000 people flocked to Melbourne to watch the fireworks.

“Given the number of people who came into the CBD last night, we are pleased with the overall crowd behaviour,” Mr De Wit said.

“I think the behaviour of the crowd’s been tremendous.”

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said the most outstanding events of the night were two separate firework accidents in which three people were injured.

Police are appealing for information after two teenage girls suffered burns following a firework accident in Lorne.

In Sydney, one man was taken to hospital with critical injuries after attempting to light illegal fireworks in Sans Souci.

Another man was airlifted to Royal North Shore hospital after playing with fireworks at Shelly Beach on the NSW central coast.

A number of people were treated for fractures after falls, including one man who fell from a balcony.

A spokeswoman for Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital emergency department said New Year’s Eve was no busier than a standard Saturday night.

“People were treated for largely minor injuries like drug and alcohol related injuries,” she said.

“It was similar to a very busy Saturday night.”