Archives: Media Releases

FIRST DESIGNS FOR KAMAY BAY FERRY WHARVES AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT

Transport for NSW is inviting interested members of the community to information sessions about the proposed reinstatement of ferry wharves at La Perouse and Kurnell.

Feedback received on the initial designs for the two wharves and associated infrastructure would help inform the final design, to be released later this year.

Four sessions will be held on site to give an opportunity for the community to review the initial designs, pose any questions and provide feedback to the project team.

This feedback will be considered by the project team and used to inform the final design and the Environmental Impact Statement which will be placed on public exhibition later this year.

The proposal includes infrastructure to support the operation of each wharf, reconfigured car parking and drop off zones, landscaping, wharf furniture, utilities and lighting.

Last year, Transport for NSW received positive feedback, including from the local Aboriginal community, other stakeholders and potential ferry service operators, which has all informed the current conceptual designs on display.

The project is part of a joint NSW and Australian government commitment, which received an additional $16 million boost in NSW maritime stimulus funding in late 2020 to bring the total funding commitment, including for construction, to $34 million.

A ferry service operated between Kurnell and La Perouse from the 1890s until 1974, when severe storms damaged the wharves. 

Reinstating these wharves will enable the return of a ferry service, support tourism including local whale watching charters, and provide safe access for recreational vessels.

The face-to-face sessions will be held at La Perouse on Wednesday 24 February between 5pm and 7pm and Saturday 27 February between 10am and 12 noon on the lawns in front of the La Perouse Museum.

The Kurnell sessions will take place on Wednesday 17 February between 5pm and 7pm and Saturday 20 February between 10am and 12 noon in the park near where the monument track meets Captain Cook Drive.

Construction of the wharves is expected to take about two years once all planning approvals are in place.

Community feedback can be provided via the project ‘Your Say’ page https://yoursay.transport.nsw.gov.au/kamay-ferry-wharves. For more information visit https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/kamay-ferry-wharves/index.html

NEW INTERN DOCTORS FOR SUTHERLAND HOSPITAL

I welcome the new intern doctors who are launching a new phase in their careers at Sutherland Hospital.

Sutherland Hospital’s new starters are among more than 1,000 intern doctors starting across NSW this year, the largest intake of any state or territory in Australia. South Eastern Sydney Local Health District is receiving 105 new intern doctors.

The new doctors who have started their internships will be entering a training program with networked hospitals throughout the state.

This year, NSW offered a record number of 1,041 intern doctor positions, which is an increase of 35 per cent since 2011.

Of these, 150 interns belong to the Rural Preferential Recruitment scheme, where interns undertake the majority of their training in rural hospitals.

The intake into this rural scheme has doubled since 2012, and aims to encourage interns to work in rural hospitals once they finish their training.

Interns are medical graduates who have completed their medical degree and are required to complete a supervised year of practice to become independent practitioners.

The NSW Government is investing $2.8 billion over four years in a record workforce boost of 8,300 frontline hospital staff, including 5,000 nurses and midwives, with 45 per cent of those for regional and rural areas.

MORE BUS SERVICES FOR ROUTE 987 CRONULLA TO KURNELL

I am pleased to announce that the Route 987 Cronulla to Kurnell bus service will double from 11 January, with around 70 extra weekly services being added to the current timetable.

The Cronulla to Kurnell route will see improved service frequency every day of the week, including extended hours particularly in the evenings.

The priority is to encourage more people out of their cars and onto public transport by providing more frequent services that gives more choice and flexibility around when people travel.

Currently there are service gaps during off-peak periods of up to 90 minutes on weekdays and four hours on weekends. The improvements will address this with a more consistent service offering across the board.

From 11 January 2021:

– Customers will have a service every 30 minutes in peak AM and PM periods, with services every 60 minutes in off-peak. 

– The first trip departs from Cronulla rail station at 5.45am and the last departs at 8.30pm. 

– Saturday services will depart Cronulla rail station from 7am, with a service every 60 minutes until the last trip at 8.00pm. 

– On Sundays, the first trip will depart at 7.45am, with a service every 60 minutes until the last trip at 6.45pm.

Since 2011, more than 38,000 additional weekly bus services have been delivered in NSW, including over 1,000 in the Sutherland Shire region.

The new timetable commences on 11 January. You can plan your journey from 28 December at www.transportnsw.info

NEW $2 MILLION WHALE WATCHING PLATFORM FOR CAPE SOLANDER

I am pleased to announce that whale watching at Cape Solander in Kamay Botany Bay National Park will be an even better experience, with a new $2 million whale watching platform being installed by the NSW Government.

The new platform will improve accessibility and improve visitor safety for the thousands of eager whale watchers visiting the site each year.

The 240sqm platform will accommodate up to 60 spectators at a time. Risk to visitors will be reduced with new seating that will provide a better viewing experience than the open rock platform. The design includes several small viewing areas above the rock platform that will offer greater choice for seating. Barriers and warning signs to limit access to the rock platform and cliff edges from the viewing areas will also be installed to reduce risk to visitors.

The platform is not only a great asset for our local community but is an important tourism site, attracting visitors to Kurnell and supporting our local economy.

Construction works are due to commence in February 2021, with the project due to be completed in time for next year’s whale watching season.

This project is being funded through the NSW Government’s Improving Access to National Parks Program.

$300,000 FOR CRONULLA ELECTORATE COMMUNITY PROJECTS

I’m pleased to announce that 13 local organisations in the Cronulla electorate have secured a total of $300,000 of funding from the NSW Government’s 2020 Community Building Partnership (CBP) program.

The program funds infrastructure projects for local community groups and schools and helps to pay for much-needed improvements.

The successful projects in the Cronulla electorate for 2020 are:

 Laguna Street Public School P&C (covered walkways) $50,000

 Burraneer Bay Public School P&C (refurbish K-2 outdoor learning areas) $40,000

 Woolooware High School P&C (renovate multi-purpose hall) $35,000

 Grays Point Public School P&C (renovate community kitchen) $28,000

 Kurnell Public School P&C (shaded student seating for sports oval) $25,000

 Woolooware Public School P&C (playground for everyone) $25,000

 Gymea Bay Public School P&C (sustainable outdoor learning space) $24,000

 Caringbah High School P&C (school hall roll out staging and under stage storage) $23,200

 Civic Disability Services (purchase equipment to increase local employment opportunities) $20,000

 Cronulla Sutherland Water Polo Club (new scoreboard) $12,000

 Cronulla Sutherland Baseball Club (batting facility upgrade) $10,000

 Jacaranda Preschool (water tank for sustainability gardens) $5,000

 Port Hacking Outrigger Club (new canoe) $2,800

I congratulate all the local organisations that were successful in their application and look forward to seeing how these projects make a difference to our community

MORE BUS SERVICES BETWEEN LILLI PILLI AND CARINGBAH

I am pleased to announce that key learnings from the Route 980 ‘Turn Up and Go’ bus trial operating from Lilli Pilli to Caringbah will soon benefit more customers with improvements to the bus network planned from mid-January 2021.

Transport for NSW will conclude the Route 980 bus trial on 18 December. The trial has been running since November 2019 to encourage more people to catch public transport.

It is evident from the trial, and from constituent feedback, that more people will choose public transport if there are more regular bus services across the day that provide timely connections with train services at Caringbah station.

The trial also highlighted that the use of smaller buses restricted commuter capacity. With the use of the larger buses, more customers will benefit in the long run.

Weekly capacity will be boosted by around 30% or almost 3,000 additional seats for customers. Customers have more flexibility and choice around when they travel with more off-peak services being scheduled.

More than 115 extra weekly services will be added to the equivalent Route 977 from mid-January 2021:

 every 15 minutes in the AM and PM peak (currently every 30-60 minutes)

 every 30 minutes in weekday off-peak periods and on Saturdays (currently up to 90 minutes)

 every 60 minutes on Sundays (currently every 120-150 minutes)

 extended service hours during evenings on both weekdays and weekends.

7 NEW RECRUITS FOR THE SUTHERLAND SHIRE

I am pleased to welcome 7 new probationary constables from the Class of 343 who will commence duties in the Sutherland Shire after being sworn in at a private attestation ceremony at the Goulburn Police Academy.

Our new police officers are a much-needed boost to the Sutherland Shire and they will greatly help our community as we continue to face this COVID-19 pandemic.

ACTIVE TRANSPORT GRANT HELPS GET INFRASTRUCTURE AND PEOPLE MOVING

I am pleased to announce that the NSW Government will provide $265,000 in grants to assist Sutherland Shire Council deliver vital infrastructure improvements to encourage more walking and cycling trips.

The grant helps deliver two local projects:

– A new shared path along the eastern side of Elouera Road from the corner of Mitchell Road to Peryman Square to provide safe passage for both pedestrians and cyclists to access the Cronulla Centre and beyond to Bate Bay Foreshore; and

– A new shared path along the eastern side of Kiora Road from President Avenue to Karimbla Road in Miranda

There is a strong demand for active transport options in this area, and with these improvements I encourage more people, be it families, recreational users or daily commuters to leave the car at home and walk or cycle instead.

 

SUTHERLAND HOSPITAL TO RECEIVE $7 MILLION FOR MRI

I am pleased to announce that the NSW government will spend $7m to deliver a new MRI at Sutherland Hospital.

This will mean that Sutherland Shire residents will no longer need to travel to St George Hospital for MRI services.

The MRI is in addition to the current $81.5 million redevelopment of Sutherland Hospital’s operating theatres and endoscopy suites, and the new emergency department which opened in 2018.

For more details on the Sutherland Hospital Redevelopment, I encourage you to visit: https://www.seslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/sutherland-hospital/about-us/operating-theatre-upgrade

NEW RETURN AND EARN AUTOMATED DEPOT OPENS IN CARINGBAH

Recycling has never been easier with the opening of The Shire Return and Earn automated depot in Caringbah. 

Sutherland Shire residents are enthusiastic recyclers, having returned more than 49 million containers since Return and Earn launched in December 2017.

The opening of the Shire Return and Earn brings the total number of return points in the Sutherland Shire to 16, providing the local community with greater access and convenience.

Located at 52 Cawarra Road in Caringbah, The Shire Return and Earn automated depot is a staffed specialist return and recycling centre which accepts any volume of containers, big or small. The team, led by local Greg McAleer, also provide home and commercial collection services.

The new depot is open from 8am to 4pm Monday to Saturday.

For more information about Return and Earn including how it works and container eligibility visit: www.returnandearn.org.au