Archives: Media Releases

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.

CARINGBAH’S AUSAIR RECEIVES $1 MILLION TO TACKLE MASK WASTE

Caringbah high tech mask company AusAir will receive up to $1 million in NSW Government funding to help develop products that will reduce waste from discarded surgical masks and respirators.

The funding is being provided through the NSW Government’s Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) program, which aims to help small businesses and Government agencies work together to solve complex challenges.

Through the program AusAir will be able to develop its compostable surgical mask and respirator products ready for market.

The NSW Government is drawing on the expertise of local businesses to develop home grown solutions to problems such as waste from used surgical masks and respirators.

Masks and respirators are an essential part of life, particularly in health care, but once used they end up as waste in landfill.

Shire based business AusAir is working to address this problem with masks and respirators that use sustainable materials and meet global benchmarks for composting certification.

This would enable unsoiled masks and respirators that would normally end up as landfill being composted.

I am delighted that the NSW Government is backing small businesses like AusAir to develop their innovative products to the point that they can realise their commercial potential and help improve environmental and social outcomes.

Having already completed a Feasibility Study under Phase 1 of the SBIR, AusAir will develop a proof of concept for its surgical respirator and surgical mask models.

Following the proof-of-concept phase, NSW Government agencies will consider buying products from the successful projects.

CRONULLA HIGH SCHOOL UPGRADE REACHES FINAL STAGES OF PLANNING

Neighbours of Cronulla High School are being consulted as planning for a major upgrade of school facilities reaches its final stages.

The project will provide 10 new permanent learning spaces, a new canteen, new administration areas and upgraded student and staff amenities to meet growing demand for places at the school.

The project is edging closer to construction at the start of an exciting new chapter in Cronulla High’s 61 year history.

School staff, P&C and members of the community have all had the opportunity to provide input into the design process to help ensure the new facilities meet their needs well into the future.

The school’s neighbours now have another opportunity to comment on the proposal and their feedback will be considered as part of finalising the planning assessment process.

The upgrade will be delivered under a Review of Environmental Factors (REF). As part of the REF planning assessment, School Infrastructure NSW has provided 21 days notification to neighbours and relevant agencies with information about the proposed development and will take into consideration any comments from them.

A tender has been released to appoint a builder for construction, which is scheduled to start early next year.

More information is available by visiting edu.nsw.link/CronullaHS.