Archives: Media Releases

NEW MRI SERVICE LAUNCHES AT SUTHERLAND HOSPITAL

The Sutherland Shire now has a new $7 million MRI facility close to home, as part of the NSW Liberal and National Government’s $88.5 million boost to Sutherland Hospital’s new Operating Theatre Complex.

This means that for the first time in the history of Sutherland Hospital patients can access an MRI on site providing physicians and patients with immediate access to an additional state-of-the-art diagnostic tool.

It will enhance patients’ access to first-class, quality healthcare without the need to travel out of the Shire.

The NSW Government responded to local residents who had campaigned to secure an MRI service for Sutherland Hospital.

The launch of the MRI service is in addition to the $62.9 million redevelopment of Sutherland Hospital, part of the NSW Government’s $160 million investment in health services for the Sutherland community.

 

WARREN RENNIE AM NAMED 2023 CRONULLA SENIOR OF THE YEAR

Patron of North Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club and surf lifesaving servant for 65 years Warren Rennie AM has been announced as the 2023 Cronulla Senior of the Year.

After more than six decades, Warren continues to serve the community with so much passion and energy.

Warren’s enthusiasm comes from knowing that surf lifesaving is about saving lives and his unwavering commitment over such a long time is an inspiration to so many people.

He has provided strong leadership in many roles at the club and the fact that he continues to serve as a patrol member says so much about his dedication to serving others.

Warren typifies the amazing volunteer spirit we have in the Shire and I congratulate him and the other finalists who continue to make a difference for our community in their senior years.

I thank all of our local seniors for the valuable volunteer work they do for so many organisations and groups.

The 2023 Cronulla Senior of the Year was presented was part of the NSW Seniors Festival Local Achievement Awards held to coincide with the annual NSW Seniors Festival, which is the biggest festival of its kind in the southern hemisphere, reaching up to 500,000 seniors each year.

Seven finalists were presented with awards at the function attended by family, friends and representatives of the organisations where they volunteer.

The other local achievement award winners were:

Laraine Lucas, Cronulla
Volunteer service to SRE (special religious education), bringing her experience as a teacher and school principal to teaching and overseeing training of SRE volunteers.

Pat Pender, Caringbah
Volunteer service to community radio 2SSR since 2006 as a regular program presenter and roles as membership services officer and program manager.

Richard Pinker, Caringbah South
Decades of volunteer service to Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club including as president, life member, committee member, in fundraising and a member on beach patrols.

Robert Short, Burraneer
Volunteer service over several decades to Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club, including as president, life member, committee member, district inspector and beach patrol member.

Jan Taylor, Grays Point
Volunteer service over more than 20 years to Sutherland Shire Council Bushcare and at the Shire’s Community Nursery and as an active member of the Australian Plants Society Sutherland Group.

Ian Toll, Gymea
Volunteer service over more than 50 years as a founding and life member of Elouera Surf Life Saving Club, serving in roles including club president, current chair of the Shire district life saving council, as well as more than 55 years as a Justice of the Peace.

NEW AMBULANCE STATION FOR SHIRE COMMUNITY

Shire residents are set to benefit from a major boost to frontline emergency care, with a new ambulance station to be built near Sutherland thanks to the NSW Government’s record $1.76 billion investment into ambulance services.

The new Sutherland ambulance station is one of 30 stations being built across NSW as part of the NSW Government’s $1.76 billion boost which will also deliver 2,128 extra staff.

The new ambulance station is being delivered as part of the $615.5 million NSW Ambulance Infrastructure Program.

As our Shire community continues to grow, the new ambulance station will help our dedicated local paramedics to provide the best emergency medical care now and into the future.

The exact location for the new ambulance station will be determined following further planning and consultation with key stakeholders including Council. Community consultation will be done as part of the planning process and the construction timeline will be determined once a site has been confirmed.

The new station will feature internal parking for emergency ambulance vehicles, vehicle wash facilities, staff parking, multipurpose spaces to support staff education and rest, logistics and storage spaces, an office area for administration and staff amenities.

The new ambulance station near Sutherland is additional to the Caringbah Ambulance Superstation delivered by the NSW Government’s $184 million Sydney Ambulance Metropolitan Infrastructure Strategy program and officially opened in 2018.

The NSW Liberal Government has also invested in the new $88.5 million Sutherland Hospital operating theatre complex, which is well underway, and has also delivered the $62.9 million Sutherland Hospital Redevelopment Stage 1, which was opened in 2018 and delivered a new and expanded emergency department, a larger intensive care unit, and additional general medical and surgical beds.

NORTH CRONULLA SURF CLUB FUNDING BOOST

North Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club will receive a further $382,000 grant from the NSW Government to continue upgrading its facilities to support the vital work its members do for the community.

Surf clubs play a critical role in keeping our community safe. The NSW Government is committed to helping the clubs provide modern and fit for purpose facilities to support the great work of their hard-working volunteers.

This grant will provide further support for North Cronulla’s redevelopment project, helping the club deliver its new facilities and quality ongoing training for volunteers.

The grant of $382,000 will help deliver the following work at the North Cronulla club:

  • new energy efficient and smart LED lighting and sensors for the existing heritage surf club building and the new surf club building areas
  • new CCTV and security and access system to secure and protect club facilities and assets and provide increased safety for members and visitors
  • wi-fi, wired network and audio-visual devices throughout the facility to support training and education sessions.

The latest grant brings NSW Government support for North Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club capital works to more than $1.3 million. The other Bate Bay clubs, Cronulla, Elouera and Wanda, have together received NSW Government capital works funding of more than $1.4 million since 2011.

The grant for North Cronulla announced today is part of the NSW Government’s $5.2 million Surf Club Facility Program for 2022-23 to help clubs throughout NSW to develop facilities that will enable increased participation in surf life saving for all people, increased facility usage and improved safety.

CONTRACT AWARDED FOR SUTHERLAND TO CRONULLA ACTIVE TRANSPORT LINK STAGE 2 EAST

The Sutherland to Cronulla Active Transport Link (SCATL) has taken another important step forward with the NSW Government awarding the contract for construction of Stage 2 East between Miranda and Woolooware.

Sydney Civil has been appointed to construct and deliver the next stage of SCATL, which when completed will transform active transport between Sutherland and Cronulla. Work is expected to begin on site next month.

It’s fantastic to mark this important milestone in the delivery of this project as SCATL will make walking and bike riding safer and more convenient for the Shire community.

SCATL Stage 2 East will run along the Kingsway and the southern side of Denman Ave from just east of Westfield Miranda to the intersection of Denman Avenue and Gannons Road, with existing links through to the Captain Cook Playing Fields, Woolooware and Cronulla High Schools and Woolooware Bay.

This will provide safe active transport access to Sutherland Hospital and link Miranda and Caringbah train stations.

The NSW Government is upgrading the intersections of Kingsway, Willarong Road and Banksia Road at Caringbah to increase safety for both road and active transport users as part of this stage. The upgrade includes installation of new signalised pedestrian crossings at the intersection of Willarong Road and Kingsway.

Planning and design is ongoing for SCATL Stage 2 West (Oak Road Kirrawee to Jackson Avenue Miranda). Following previous community feedback, public display and consultation on a preferred route is expected to be open for submissions mid-year.

When all of Stage 2 is complete, SCATL will deliver around eight kilometres of pedestrian and bike paths between Sutherland and Caringbah to connect public transport, schools, hospitals, residential and retail precincts.

Funding for SCATL includes Stage 3 through Woolooware and Cronulla and detailed planning and community consultation will follow planning for Stage 2 West.

Fine out more here.

FUNDING COMPLETE FOR THE HUNGRY POINT CLIFF TOP WALK

I’m pleased to announce the remaining funding for the proposed cliff top walk at Hungry Point Reserve, which will provide the missing pedestrian link between the Esplanade and Darook Park at Cronulla.

A grant of $4.9 million has been provided to Sutherland Shire Council through the Places to Roam stream of the NSW Government’s Open Spaces Program, bringing funding for the project to $6.9 million.

The cliff top walk around the spectacular perimeter of Hungry Point has been a community vision for many years and I am delighted that we have secured funding to deliver the project.

The Esplanade already provides amazing views for walkers and extending the path around Hungry Point to Darook Park will unlock spectacular and seldom seen views of Port Hacking.

I thank the Hungry Point Reserve Land Manager (the trust) and Sutherland Shire Council for the work they have done to prepare the walkway plans that will enable access for the community around this spectacular location while preserving he heritage and environmental values of the reserve.

The proposed suspended walkway is of lightweight construction comprising of a steel frame and fibreglass composite decking with stainless steel balustrading to certain locations. The walkway will also include staired sections, provision for seating and viewing areas with interpretive signage.

Following a community information session in Cronulla by the trust during October, plans for the walkway were put on public exhibition by Heritage NSW (as delegate of the independent Heritage Council) during October and November.

Subject to approval of the plans by the Heritage Council, construction of the walkway is planned to begin in 2023.

SPECTACULAR VIEWING FOR NATURE’S SPECTACULAR

A spectacular new whale watching platform at Kamay Botany Bay National Park is set to establish Sydney as the whale watching capital of Australia’s east coast. 

Cape Solander is a spectacular site attracting more than 300,000 local, domestic and international visitors each year.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has built the $2.5 million facilities in response to burgeoning demand from people wanting to see the spectacle as tens of thousands of whales pass the NSW coast each migratory season.

The new lookout provides greater capacity and triples the viewing area protected from the weather, with new tiered seating to increase the overall visitor capacity of the site.

The results are outstanding given the many challenges that had to be overcome to complete this spectacular project, including pandemic delays, contractor availability, and the extremely wet weather from November to April.

The new facilities provide wheelchair accessibility, improved visitor access, and safety enhancements.

Increased car parking provides upgraded pedestrian safety, including footpaths, signage, line-marking and barriers, complemented by extensive landscaping works.

The NSW Government funded the new facilities as part of the largest visitor infrastructure program in national park history, enabling the renewal, improvement and enhancement of park visitor facilities, safety and infrastructure.

This new facility complements other works completed or underway at Kamay Botany Bay National Park, including the Kamay 2020 sculptures, restored Alpha House and the proposed new visitor centre. 

Read more about the upgraded whale watching platform here.

$400,000 BOOST FOR CRONULLA COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Grants worth a total of $400,000 have been awarded to 11 community organisations in the Cronulla electorate through the NSW Government’s 2022 Community Building Partnership Program.

The grants will go towards better facilities for a range of organisations from schools to disability and social services.

I thank the hardworking groups for their enthusiasm in preparing applications for the program this year; we continue to have many great volunteers in the Shire who want to make a difference for the community. I look forward to seeing the benefits of the successful projects.

The following projects have received funding in the 2022 round:

  • Caringbah Public School P&C (extension and renovation of the school’s multi-purpose hall) $70,000
  • Woolooware High School P&C (installation of power saving LED production lighting in the school’s multi-purpose hall and stage area) $70,000
  • Kurnell Public School P&C (upgrade shaded playground area with a themed structure and a new soft fall surface) $54,000
  • Cronulla Public School P&C (construction of a new outdoor learning centre) $50,000
  • Burraneer Bay Public School P&C (upgrade of audio visual equipment in the school hall and adjoining covered outdoor learning area) $36,000
  • Civic Disability Services (purchase of a refrigerated van to expand kitchen and catering social enterprise) $30,000
  • Laguna Street Public School P&C (new large, mobile video display screens for covered outdoor learning area and hall) $28,000
  • Kingsway Community Church (modification and improvements to area for youth activities) $25,000
  • St Aloysius Church Cronulla (solar panel installation on church roof) $18,000
  • Grays Point Girl Guides (guide hall maintenance upgrade) $10,000
  • UCA New Beginnings Church Cronulla (refurbishment of food storage and distribution room for its Cronulla Community Café food service) $9,000

SUTHERLAND COURTHOUSE SOLAR POWERS ITS WAY INTO GREENER FUTURE

Sutherland Courthouse has undergone a $1.7 million transformation in sustainability and building upgrades including the installation of rooftop solar panels and an energy storage system.

The installation of the 100 kilowatt rooftop solar system will help reduce the building’s energy consumption by up to 40% which means less impact on the environment.

The new energy storage system will store solar energy from the panels, which can be used when the sun isn’t shining, further reducing the building’s carbon footprint.

The NSW Government’s investment in solar and battery storage will help generate significant savings to the local community as well as the environment with savings of up to $170,000 in running costs over the next five years and it will contribute towards reducing close to 114 tonnes of emissions per year. This is equivalent to planting 1,687 trees.

The completed works at Sutherland Courthouse also include major refurbishments to the entire roof of the courthouse spanning an area equivalent to 13 tennis courts, re-painting the courthouse’s 80s exterior and remediation of the sandstone façade.

More than 13,700 local court matters were finalised at Sutherland Local Court in 2021, making it the third busiest courthouse in the Sydney metropolitan area, following the Downing Centre and Parramatta Court.

CRONULLA ELECTORATE JPs HONOURED FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE

Lilli Pilli’s Colleen Dombkins and Caringbah South’s Reinhart Putral have been honoured for more than half of century of service to the community as Justices of the Peace (JPs).

Ms Dombkins and Mr Putral were part of JPs ‘Class of 71’ recognised for their service at a special golden jubilee ceremony I hosted at NSW Parliament, which was delayed from 2021 because of the pandemic.

JPs play an important role in the community by witnessing statutory declarations and affidavits and certifying copies of original documents. We all appreciate the assistance of JPs when we need documents witnessed for things such as passport applications, starting a new job, banking or superannuation or personal legal affairs. 

Volunteer service is fundamental to making our community what it is, and I thank Colleen and Reinhart for their dedication to serving New South Wales over more than 50 years.

There are approximately 72,000 registered JPs in NSW. For more information about volunteering as a JP visit www.jp.nsw.gov.au.