Archives: Media Releases

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 

$290,000 IN BOATING FUNDING FOR CRONULLA

I am pleased to announce $290,000 in NSW Government funding to support Sutherland Shire Council plans for improved water depth to the Tonkin Street Cronulla boat ramp and a feasibility study at Wallys Wharf Port Hacking boat ramp.

The grant of $200,000 for dredging works and $90,000 for the feasibility study are two of 69 successful projects allocated funding under the NSW Government’s $28 million investment in Round 3 of the Boating Now program, which supports infrastructure projects to improve boating access, amenities and safety for NSW boaters.

Dredging of the approach channel to the Tonkin Street boat ramp at Gunnamatta Bay will make it safer and easier for boaters to access the bay from the boat ramp.

The second project will involve a feasibility study of design options to improve the existing pontoon at Wallys Wharf boat ramp.

The study will also consider the feasibility of a new small craft launching ramp and traffic and pedestrian management options for access from the road.

The NSW Government also contributed $950,000 towards the $1.9 million Tonkin Street Cronulla boat ramp upgrade and $225,000 in funding for the small craft launching ramp at Lugano Avenue Burraneer, both completed in the last 12 months.

For more information on the program and successful projects go to: www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/key-build-program/boating-now. 

$350,000 IN FUNDING FOR NORTH CRONULLA SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB

I am pleased to announce that North Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club will receive $350,000 through the NSW Government’s Surf Club Facility Program.

The $350,000 will be used towards the $7m+ redevelopment of the clubhouse, in particular the equipment and gear storage rooms.

As part of the NSW Government’s annual Surf Club Facility Program, grants of between $30,000 and $350,000 each were awarded to 26 surf clubs in shared $4 million funding across NSW.

Our four Bate Bay surf clubs are at the forefront of our Shire community’s volunteer organisations. They donate tens of thousands of hours every year and play a vital role in patrolling our beaches and keeping us safe. This grant will help bring North Cronulla’s facilities up to date.

Neighbouring club Cronulla SLSC has previously received $500,000 under earlier rounds of the program.

GANNONS ROAD UPGRADE COMPLETE

I was pleased to announce today the end of major works at a notorious bottleneck for local traffic, with the completion of the Gannons Road widening under the rail bridges.

The traffic congestion along this section of road has caused considerable frustration for local motorists for many years, particularly during the afternoon peak period.

Gannons Road under the rail bridges has been widened to two lanes in each direction, plus a new northbound right turning lane and an extension of the southbound right turning lane. A new dedicated shared pathway, which will connect to the Sutherland to Cronulla Active Transport Link, has been built on the eastern side of Gannons Road to create a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.

Sutherland Shire Council has delivered the road project at a cost of $1.8 million. Council provided $1.2 million towards the project, with the NSW Government contributing $600,000.
In 2019, the NSW Government funded the $9 million replacement of the older of the two Gannons Road rail bridges, to create the additional space needed to widen the road underneath to four lanes.

In 2018, the NSW Government installed a second right turn lane on the Kingsway into Gannons Road heading north, as part of its $300 million Urban Roads Pinch Point and $100 million Congestion and Safety programs.

The work is in addition to improvements recently completed under NSW Government pinch point programs to upgrade other intersections along Kingsway (at President Avenue, Woolooware Road and Elouera Road) and at the Boulevarde / Captain Cook Drive / Taren Point Road.