Archives: Media Releases

NEW RAIL BRIDGE NOW IN PLACE AT GANNONS ROAD

It took a 750 tonne crane, over 20 pieces of heavy machinery and more than 450 tonnes of pre-cast concrete but the new rail bridge at Gannons Road in Caringbah is finally in place.

 

The old steel rail bridge, built in 1939, was removed last weekend, replaced by the new bridge, which was installed in pre-cast sections with in-situ concrete topping slab poured on site.

 

This was a major operation Sydney Trains undertook with some very complex engineering work involved to carefully remove the old bridge and safely install the new one.

 

The major structure is now securely in place with the rest of the pieces such as the rail tracks and overhead wiring to be installed this week.

 

Temporary traffic management and transport measures will continue to operate until next Monday.

 

I’d like to thank the local community for their patience while this important project is taking place. Gannons Road remains on track to re-open next Monday along with train services.

 

Once this work is completed, Sutherland Shire Council can then complete the next phase of the project, which is to add more road lanes, along with a footpath and cycle path.

 

This is great news for our local community, in particular, motorists, who have been caught in the bottleneck of Gannons Road for far too long.

 

Buses will continue to replace train services between Sutherland and Cronulla, and a detour route will operate for motorists between Captain Cook Drive through Elouera Road and Kingsway. A short shuttle service will be provided for pedestrians between Kingsway and Denman Avenue.

IMPROVEMENTS TO EASE CONGESTION ON KINGSWAY

 

Motorists are set to experience reduced congestion on the Kingsway from next month, with planned parking changes between Wallumatta Road and Gannons Road, Caringbah.

 

The proposed work will extend to Wallumatta Road the existing No Stopping zone eastbound at the Kingsway/Gannons Road intersection.

 

The changes are designed to improve traffic flow through the intersection, especially for cars turning left into Gannons Road northbound.

 

The parking changes are not expected to have a major impact on residential parking as the majority of residents in the area already have off-street parking.

 

The new signage will be installed in early August, weather permitting.

 

Anyone who has any questions or feedback on the plan is encouraged to contact the Roads and Maritime Services project team by Friday 19 July 2019.

 

To give feedback, residents can contact the project team by phone on 0429 127 648, by email at NetworkSydney.south@rms.nsw.gov.au or in writing to Network and Safety Services Team – South East Precinct Roads and Maritimes Services PO Box 973 Parramatta NSW 2124.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON CARINGBAH PARKING CHANGES

The Sutherland Shire community is being invited to have a say on plans to improve pedestrian safety and reduce travel time for motorists around the intersection of Kingsway and Taren Point Road at Caringbah.


The proposal is expected to reduce the number of rear end crashes at the busy intersection, and improve efficiency by making more lanes available, especially during the busy weekday peaks and for northbound traffic on weekends during peak times.

 

The proposed changes include restricting parking in the morning and afternoon peak hours, from 6am to 10am and 3pm and 7pm on weekdays. As part of these changes, six parking spaces would also be removed on Kingsway between Taren Point Road and Chamberlain Avenue to help deliver consistent driving conditions for motorists.

 

The parking changes are not expected to have a major impact on local residential parking as many residents in the area have off-street parking.


Residents and the local community are invited to get in touch with any questions or concerns. All feedback will be considered and Roads and Maritime will continue to keep the community informed as the proposal progresses.


The community can provide feedback to the project team by Friday 3 May 2019 via email at NetworkSydney.south@rms.nsw.gov.au, by phone on 0429 127 648 or in writing to PO Box 973 Parramatta NSW 2124.


For further information refer to the attached map.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE LATE NIGHT SERVICES FOR THE T4 LINE

Train commuters in the Sutherland Shire will receive more late night services from 10pm, seven days a week.

 

The new services are in response to a massive increase in late night travel. The T4 Line carries more customers in the late night period than any other line on the network.

 

The additional late night services will be introduced in the next stage of the NSW Government’s $4.3 billion More Trains, More Services program.

 

Additional T4 Line services to be provided include:

  • Oatley, Jannali, Kirrawee, Gymea, Miranda, Caringbah, Woolooware, Cronulla:two extra services per hour will provide a train every 15 minutes on average, doubling services compared to the current late night frequency on weekdays
  • Redfern, Sydenham, Wolli Creek, Rockdale, Kogarah, Hurstville, Sutherland:two extra services per hour will provide a turn up and go service for customers every 10 minutes.

 

Running more services later in the night will reduce wait times on platforms. When the new services commence in the early 2020s customers won’t have to wait more than 10 minutes for a T4 train departing the city.

GANNONS ROAD BRIDGE WIDENING WORK BEGINS

I am pleased to announce today that the NSW Government has started early work to widen the Gannons Road rail bridge in Caringbah, to allow widening of the road underneath.


I recently visited the site to view early works with Transport Minister Andrew Constance and Sutherland Shire Mayor Carmelo Pesce.


Gannons Road is currently a bottleneck for local traffic, with only one lane southbound.


Much of the ‘major work’ will be around the July school holidays, when the old bridge will be demolished and replaced.


Once the NSW Government completes its part of the project around August, Sutherland Shire Council is expected to start work soon afterwards on the road widening, along with a foot and cycle path.


The bridge and road upgrade will also support a new dedicated pedestrian and bicycle path as part of the Sutherland to Cronulla Active Transport Link. The project connects a number of important destinations, including public transport interchanges, residential areas, schools, hospitals and retail precincts.


Last year the NSW Government upgraded the intersection of Kingsway and Gannons Road, to create a second right turn lane from Kingsway into Gannons Road heading north.

 


 

 

 

EIGHT NEW OPERATING THEATRES FOR SUTHERLAND HOSPITAL

The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will invest $81.5 million to deliver eight new operating theatres replacing six old ones and two new endoscopy suites at Sutherland Hospital.


The significant investment will ensure the growing community of the Sutherland Shire can access world-class health services when they need them. It will make a huge difference for patients in the Sutherland Shire, who will be able to have their surgery quicker and closer to home.


The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has a strong track record when it comes to delivering health infrastructure, having already built or upgraded more than 100 hospitals and other health facilities across the State.


This investment will greatly increase capacity for surgical treatment at Sutherland Hospital and create more than 800 jobs during construction.


In addition to the infrastructure, the NSW Government is delivering more nurses, midwives and doctors. Over the next four years our Local Health District will also receive at least 773 new staff including 116 doctors, 502 nurses and midwives, 96 allied health staff and 117 hospital support workers.


The new investment comes on top of $72 million already provided by the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government in Sutherland Hospital since 2014.


The results of that investment are there to see, with just about every patient having their elective surgery on time – 99.6 per cent compared with just 88.6 per cent under Labor.


The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has recently completed the $62.9 million Sutherland Hospital redevelopment, which included a new emergency department, additional inpatient beds, and support spaces.


Together with $9.1 million previously spent on the new car park, this new investment brings the total commitment at Sutherland Hospital to $153.5 million since 2014.


Work on the eight new operating theatres will commence in 2020-21, with the project scheduled to be completed in 2022-23.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EIGHT NEW OPERATING THEATRES FOR SUTHERLAND HOSPITAL

The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government will invest $81.5 million to deliver eight new operating theatres replacing six old ones and two new endoscopy suites at Sutherland Hospital.


The significant investment will ensure the growing community of the Sutherland Shire can access world-class health services when they need them. It will make a huge difference for patients in the Sutherland Shire, who will be able to have their surgery quicker and closer to home.


The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has a strong track record when it comes to delivering health infrastructure, having already built or upgraded more than 100 hospitals and other health facilities across the State.


This investment will greatly increase capacity for surgical treatment at Sutherland Hospital and create more than 800 jobs during construction.


In addition to the infrastructure, the NSW Government is delivering more nurses, midwives and doctors. Over the next four years our Local Health District will also receive at least 773 new staff including 116 doctors, 502 nurses and midwives, 96 allied health staff and 117 hospital support workers.


The new investment comes on top of $72 million already provided by the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government in Sutherland Hospital since 2014.


The results of that investment are there to see, with just about every patient having their elective surgery on time – 99.6 per cent compared with just 88.6 per cent under Labor.


The NSW Liberals & Nationals Government has recently completed the $62.9 million Sutherland Hospital redevelopment, which included a new emergency department, additional inpatient beds, and support spaces.


Together with $9.1 million previously spent on the new car park, this new investment brings the total commitment at Sutherland Hospital to $153.5 million since 2014.


Work on the eight new operating theatres will commence in 2020-21, with the project scheduled to be completed in 2022-23.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE THAN $620,000 TO GREEN THE SHIRE

Barren Sutherland Shire streets will benefit from over 2800 trees being planted by Sutherland Shire Council with a $620,000+ grant from the NSW government announced today.

 

 

It’s part of the Five Million Trees for Greater Sydney initiative – planting 5 million trees in Sydney by 2030 to increase Sydney’s tree canopy from 16% to 40%.

 

 

More tree canopy means more shade, cooler suburbs, more habitats for wildlife, lower carbon emissions, prettier suburbs and even higher property values.

 

 

Since April 2018, almost 100,000 trees have been planted across Greater Sydney under the Five Million Trees initiative.

 

ARTISTS TO NULLIFY GRAFFITI IN THE CRONULLA

Sutherland Shire is fast becoming a hub for outdoor art, with a $100,000 investment to transform graffiti hotspots in Cronulla into a cultural oasis.

 

The joint project, to be run by Sutherland Shire Council, would build on the success of the Walk the Walls festival in Caringbah, which reduced crime in a CBD that was scarred by vandalism.


Last year 34 artists decorated 23 walls during the Caringbah festival and the results have been incredible with graffiti plummeting in the area and all murals still intact.


The Cronulla project will be Walk the Walls – Part Two, with Surf Lane, Cronulla Street and Purley Place to be given spectacular makeovers during a three-day festival later this year.


The event will be a drawcard for thousands of visitors and residents as local, Indigenous and national artists paint large scale murals in the suburb’s CBD and rail corridors. Artworks will be protected by anti-graffiti coatings.


Young people at risk of engaging in vandalism will be given an opportunity to learn from professional artists about lawfully expressing creativity.


The event would deliver a boost to the local economy and have long-term benefits for the community.


Cronulla’s CBD is the Sutherland Shire’s premier entertainment precinct at night and beautifying its streets will make it safer and more appealing to visitors.


The Walk The Walls festival will be funded with a $75,000 grant from the NSW Government’s Safer Community Compact program which invests up to $1.35 million every year in grass-roots projects to reduce crime across NSW. Sutherland Shire Council is contributing $25,000 to the project.


The Safer Community Compact program recognises local people understand the crime problems facing their communities and can play an important role in addressing them.


The festival will include live music and food stalls and will be conducted in partnership with council, local businesses, community organisations and young people.


The dates for Cronulla’s Walk the Walls festival are yet to be finalised.

 

 

 

 

NSW GOVERNMENT COMMITS TO BUILDING ENTIRE SUTHERLAND TO CRONULLA ACTIVE TRANSPORT LINK

The NSW Government has announced that work has started on the first stage of the Sutherland to Cronulla Active Transport Link between Sutherland and Kirrawee. It is also working towards finalising the remainder of the route, linking Kirrawee to Cronulla, creating a continuous path of about 11 kilometres.


Construction of stage two is intended to commence in the second half of 2020, subject to detailed design and planning approval.


The dedicated pedestrian and bicycle path will connect key destinations between Sutherland and Kirrawee, including local schools, shops, restaurants, the farmers’ market, train station and entertainment centre.


Bicycle riders and pedestrians will be able to use stage one by early 2020 and stage two progressively from opening from 2021 and completed by 2023, subject to community consultation and approvals.


This new link will help to attract new riders and ease local traffic congestion. It also provides a safe alternative for people who want to walk to destinations and there are also health benefits for all who participate on two wheels or two legs.


During consultation the community told us they wanted work to progress on future stages of the active transport link and we are making sure that happens.


The Kirrawee to Cronulla stage will make greater use of the rail corridor while still connecting key destinations like transport interchanges, parks, retail and business precincts and Cronulla Beach.


This will be the first time in NSW that an active transport link has been built within such a busy, suburban rail corridor.


Detailed survey and design work to confirm the route of the second stage, identification of construction options and consultation with the community will all be happening over the coming year to make sure we design an asset that delivers value to the community for the long term.


Details on the Sutherland to Cronulla Active Transport Link (SCATL) can be found at www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects.