Archives: Media Releases

METRO RENEWAL PROJECTS DELIVERING FOR SUTHERLAND SHIRE SCHOOLS

The NSW Government is delivering new and improved educational facilities at schools in the Sutherland Shire with work progressing on the $240 million Metro and Regional Renewal Programs.

The program is investing in more than $8 million across the Shire, including 13 projects in the Cronulla electorate.

Each project includes a government co-contribution of between 50 to 80 per cent for school capital improvement projects, including covered outdoor learning areas, covered walkways, playground, oval and court upgrades and improved staff and administration facilities.

The program is delivering more modern facilities for our students and staff to support quality learning in our schools.

It also delivers improvements to help students enjoy sporting and play activities, as well as facilities such as covered learning areas and walkways to assist school communities to operate effectively in all weather conditions.

Local schools have identified these projects as their highest priority infrastructure needs.

The program is good news for businesses in the Shire with schools using local contractors and suppliers to do the work wherever possible.

The renewal programs are supporting more than 2,600 jobs across regional and metro NSW.

The NSW Government is investing $7.9 billion in schools infrastructure over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 215 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This is the largest investment in public education infrastructure in the history of NSW.

Cronulla electorate schools – projects worth $4 million

  • Burraneer Bay Public – playground upgrade
  • Caringbah High – new covered outdoor learning area
  • Caringbah North Public – new car park
  • Caringbah Public – new covered walkways
  • Cronulla High – hall upgrade
  • Cronulla Public – updated communications system
  • Cronulla South Public – new electronic sign, new stage
  • Kirrawee High – staff toilet refurbishment
  • Kurnell Public – sports oval upgrade
  • Laguna Street Public – new covered walkways
  • Woolooware Public – internal roads upgrade
  • Yowie Bay Public – staff / administration facilities upgrade

COURT THERAPY HOUNDS FETCHED BACK TO DUTY AT SUTHERLAND

After a precautionary “paws” due to COVID-19, the loveable Labradors of the NSW Government’s Canine Court Companion Program are back on duty at Sutherland Courthouse.

The affectionate pooches bring comfort to court users who are often experiencing some of the worst days of their lives.

The friendly Labradors have been hounding their volunteer handlers to get back to work and make a difference in our local community once again.

The dogs are back at Sutherland Courthouse three days a week and provide support in publicly accessible areas of the courthouse.

They may also work in response to special requests from police or court professionals to assist where people are particularly anxious.

An evaluation of the program found the therapy dogs have a calming and uplifting effect on victims of crime, as well as court professionals and volunteers, support networks, and the family and friends of people attending court.

Each helpful hound receives up to two years of intensive training with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT.

Sutherland is one of nine courthouses were the program operates across regional and metropolitan NSW.

JOHN STOFFELS NAMED CRONULLA SENIOR OF THE YEAR

A 50 year veteran volunteer of community sport and fundraising, John Stoffels, has been named the 2022 Cronulla Senior of the Year on day one of the NSW Seniors Festival.

I announced John as the winner at a celebratory morning tea where the trophy was presented by Minister for Seniors Mark Coure.

John has been passionate about giving people from the Sutherland Shire the opportunity to play and enjoy sport. Over the years he has been a driving force across football, softball and more recently golf, always actively involved in fundraising to provide a better experience and facilities for players.

John’s enthusiasm for a cause is obvious, no more so than in his current role as Chair of the Woolooware Golf Club’s Legacy Committee, where he spearheads the annual push to help the families of fallen or ill veterans.

As an ex-serviceman himself, John throws himself into leading the fundraising effort, helping the club donate significant sums of money even when COVID-19 lockdowns have meant the yearly Legacy golf day couldn’t be held.

John’s passion, commitment and enthusiasm is infectious and has made a big difference to many people involved with both sport and Legacy.

John’s service to sport started with the Sutherland Shire Soccer Football Club, now the Sutherland Sharks Football Club, including a number of years as President, continued with the Sutherland Shire Softball Association where he was the President for more than a decade, and more recently he has been involved with the Sharks Social Golf Club, where he has served as President for almost 10 years.

The other finalists in the Cronulla NSW Seniors Festival Local Achievement Awards were:

  • Patricia Cudmore – St Vincent de Paul Society Sutherland Shire regional president
  • John Curtis – NSW State Emergency Service volunteer
  • Michael Douglas – Sutherland Food Services volunteer including past president
  • Ron Griffths – Lilli Pilli Football Club volunteer
  • Betty Jacobs – Kurnell Girl Guides and Kurnell Pensioners’ Club volunteer
  • Chris Murray – NSW State Emergency Service  leading senior operator
  • Norman “Buzz” Piddington – North Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club volunteer
  • Neil Reynolds – Caringbah Baptist Church and Skills4Me volunteer
  • Russell Sullivan – Port Hacking Open Sailing Club rear commodore
  • Brian Thompson OAM – Elouera Surf Life Saving Club patron, Tradies director
  • Peter Turbet – Sutherland Shire Council Bushcare volunteer, Fred Hollows Foundation worker and history author.

The awards recognise the invaluable contribution seniors make to so many aspects of community life here in the Shire.

The finalists highlight how fortunate we are to have such incredible, dedicated volunteers in the Sutherland Shire, which makes it such a great place to live.

KURNELL’S REBECCA HINSHELWOOD ANNOUNCED AS 2022 CRONULLA WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Rebecca Hinshelwood of Kurnell has been named as the 2022 Cronulla Woman of the Year.

Rebecca is the President and Deputy Captain of Kurnell Rural Fire Service (RFS) and is one of many women in the Cronulla electorate who make a significant contribution as leaders in our community.

As a leader in the RFS, Rebecca is a great role model for women in an organisation that has traditionally had more male volunteers.

For almost 29 years Rebecca has been a volunteer in the Kurnell RFS, serving on the front line as a firefighter and in a number of senior roles locally.

She has shown great community spirit and dedication to giving back to Kurnell, balancing her volunteer work with raising her three daughters and a career as a nurse.

Rebecca has been committed to regular training and improving her skills and knowledge, while gaining valuable experience fighting the 1997, 2001 and 2019-20 ‘Black Summer’ bushfires.

This award is due recognition of her commitment and the valuable role she plays in steering an essential local service.

It is also an opportunity to again appreciate and recognise the sacrifices Rebecca and all RFS volunteers and their families make to help keep our community safe.

Rebecca has continued the legacy of her father, the late David Lavis, who was Kurnell RFS captain for 17 years in a 30 year career with the organisation. 

Rebecca serves in the Kurnell RFS alongside her husband David Hinshelwood who is the brigade Captain.

CARINGBAH SNACK CRUSADER CROWNED THE ‘ONE TO WATCH’ AT NSW WOMEN’S WEEK

Caringbah nine-year-old Lennox Wade, the founder of kids’ food charity Snacktember, has been named the One to Watch at the NSW Women of the Year Awards.

Lennox was presented with the award today at the Sydney Opera House at a ceremony I attended along with Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor.

She was one of ten finalists for the award, which recognises girls and young women aged 7 to 17 who demonstrate a single act or ongoing acts of courage, strength, determination and kindness to help and support others.

Lennox started Snacktember when just three years old at preschool with a single food collection box, when her mum complained about uneaten snacks in their pantry.

Five years later she has worked with OzHarvest to collect more than 500 kilograms of snacks to share with children in need.

I was delighted to see Lennox’s dedication and compassion recognised. She has inspired people all over Australia to get behind Snacktember with her generosity and passion for helping kids who don’t have access to snack food.

She was driven to set up Snacktember after learning at preschool that many children don’t get to enjoy a tasty lunch each day and she hasn’t looked back since.

It is heart-warming to have a young person like Lennox, so dedicated to helping others, as part of our Sutherland Shire community and we celebrate Lennox’s achievements with her.

I hope this award will raise awareness of Snacktember and help her provide food for even more kids.

Lennox is a credit to her family and her school community at Caringbah North Public School and a well-deserved winner of this award.

NEW GRADUATE NURSES FOR SUTHERLAND HOSPITAL

45 graduate nurses will start work at Sutherland Hospital this year.

Sutherland Hospital will provide the graduates with a great learning environment for their first year in the health workforce with opportunities in a variety of clinical settings to ensure they gain a range of experience and consolidate skills and knowledge developed while at university.

Many of the graduates officially started work this week after contributing to the COVID-19 workforce response as students in our vaccination and testing clinics.

I welcome these graduates to Sutherland Hospital at a challenging time for our health system and thank them, and all of our nurses, for their hard work for the community.

The intake of new recruits at Sutherland Hospital is part of an injection of 2,800 graduate nurses and midwives who are starting work across 130 NSW public hospitals and health facilities this year in a big win for the NSW health system.

Between 2012 and 2021, the nursing workforce and midwifery workforce in NSW increased by 9,599 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, or 23 per cent, to 51, 794 FTE.

The NSW Government is also investing a further 5,000 nurses and midwives from 2019-2022 under a record $2.8 billion boost to frontline staff.

CRONULLA SCHOOLS SET TO SHINE

Seven schools in the Cronulla electorate will benefit from more energy efficiency lighting.

The upgrade is part of Tranche 4 of the NSW Government’s $157.8 million LED Lighting Upgrade Program to replace old inefficient lights in public schools with smart LED lights.

Research has shown that improved lighting has a positive impact on students’ education, so the upgrade is good news for learning and it will also help reduce school power bills.

Cronulla schools benefiting from the LED Lighting Upgrade Program are: 

  • Caringbah High School
  • Woolooware High School
  • Kirrawee High School
  • Gymea Bay Public
  • Grays Point Public
  • Laguna Street Public
  • Cronulla High School.

 The program is providing a stimulus response to the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting more than 1,200 jobs across the State.

The installation work is being tendered using the Local Trades Scheme, allowing local businesses and tradespeople the opportunity to bid for the work in the Sutherland Shire.

The program targets small to medium sized contractors which is great for our local community and economy.

The NSW Government is investing $7.9 billion over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 215 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW.

SUTHERLAND COURTHOUSE TO RUN ON THE SUN

Solar panels will be installed on the roof of Sutherland Courthouse next year as part of a new program aimed at making the state’s judicial buildings energy efficient.

 

Sutherland will be one of the first courthouses in NSW to be upgraded as part of this statewide solar-energy program.

 

Sutherland Courthouse will also be fitted with energy-saving LED lighting and motion sensors to switch lights on in non-court areas and save electricity.

 

While the judicial process is taking place inside the building, solar panels on the roof will be hard at work as well, contributing to a cleaner environment and saving taxpayer money.

 

Stage 1 of the courthouse solar program involves an overall investment of $1.8 million to install more than 3000 photovoltaic solar panels on 23 courthouses in Sydney and regional NSW.

 

The projects will help propel the NSW Government toward its commitment to double NSW Government solar energy generation from 55,000 to 126,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) a year by 2024.

 

Courthouses in Stage 1 will generate an estimated 2,311 MWh of electricity per year and reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 360 average residential households.

SURF CLUB UPGRADE COMPLETE AT ELOUERA

Elouera Surf Life Saving Club is celebrating the completion of a $800,000 upgrade, with $320,000 contributed by the NSW Government.

$300,000 of the work was funded through the Surf Club Facility Program, which assists surf life saving clubs across NSW to upgrade, restore and construct facilities. $20,000 was made available through the Community Building Partnership program, which funds local community groups to improve their facilities.

I’m delighted to see the newly completed ground floor facilities at Elouera.

Our surf lifesaving volunteers are committed to protecting our community, and it’s important they have fit-for-purpose facilities.

I congratulate the Elouera Surf Life Saving Club board for its vision of providing excellent facilities that help its volunteers feel valued.

Club volunteers will benefit from improved amenities, training room, administration office, first aid room and gymnasium.

The upgrade will help the club’s efforts to be inclusive for everyone, doubling the size of female amenities to provide more change room space for mums and children participating in the club’s programs.

There have also been improvements to accessible change rooms, which will make it easier for special needs nippers to participate.

The NSW Government has allocated $4 million for the next round of the Surf Club Facility Program, which is now open to applications from surf clubs.

More information about the Surf Club Facility Program is available at www.sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/grants/SCFP

$400,000 FOR CRONULLA ELECTORATE COMMUNITY PROJECTS

12 local organisations in the Cronulla electorate have secured a total of $400,000 for projects through the NSW Government’s 2021 Community Building
Partnership Program.

The program funds infrastructure projects for improvements to facilities for hardworking local community groups.

I am delighted to announce the following projects have been successful for 2021:

  • Cronulla South Public School P&C (upgrade of classroom and outdoor learning space) $70,000
  • Wanda Surf Life Saving Club (upgrade to lift) $50,000
  • Yowie Bay Public School P&C (new nature adventure garden) $50,000
  • Laguna Street Public School P&C (upgraded outdoor seating area) $45,000
  • Cronulla High School P&C (motorised lighting winch system) $40,000
  • Cronulla Recreation and Bowling Club (updated sun protection shades) $34,000
  • Cronulla Public School P&C (water bottle refill stations) $30,000
  • Woolooware High School P&C (renovation of multi purpose hall floors) $30,000
  • Elouera Surf Life Saving Club (ground floor refurbishment) $20,000
  • Sunnyfield (renovation and upgrade of kitchen at Caringbah) $14,000
  • St Aloysius Church, Cronulla (refurbishment of audio visual system) $12,000
  • Cronulla Seagulls Football Club (outdoor shade and weather protection) $5,000.

I congratulate the local organisations that have been successful in their applications and look forward to seeing the difference these projects make to our
community.