Archives: Media Releases

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.

AUSTRALIA-FIRST $12 MILLION MARINE RESCUE TRAINING CENTRE FOR SYDNEY

I am pleased to announce that Australia’s first dedicated marine rescue training centre will be developed on the shore of Port Hacking in Southern Sydney as part of a $12 million NSW Government investment in ensuring there are more skilled rescuers ready to save lives on the water.

                                                                                      

The NSW Government is a proud supporter of Marine Rescue volunteers, which is why we have invested an additional $37.6 million for new vehicles, improved operating facilities and enhancements to the marine radio network.

 

The Training Academy will ensure the preservation of the heritage values of the Hungry Point Reserve and continue its use for maritime-related activities, while maintaining public access to the site’s open parkland.

 

This project will protect history of the reserve, stretching back to the earliest Indigenous inhabitants living here on Port Hacking, through to its later use as a migrant hostel and Department of Primary Industries fisheries research centre.

 

The training centre will also enhance the safety of our large and growing boating community in southern Sydney, with boaters able to undertake a number of courses to improve their own abilities on the water.

 

This is the first training centre for marine rescue volunteers anywhere in the country.

 

The Academy will include a large lecture/meeting room, smaller classrooms equipped with marine simulators and other technological learning tools, practical outdoor training areas and pool, accommodation and meal facilities.

 

Up to 100 trainees every week will be able to attend the Academy, which will also be available to other emergency services whose personnel use vessels as part of their emergency response operations.

 

The government is also investing up to $5m in a new walkway around Hungry Point, extending the current ocean-side walk beyond Salmon Haul Bay to around the South Cronulla peninsula to Darook Park.

TURN UP AND GO CARINGBAH STATION AND LILLI PILLI BUS TRIAL EXTENDED

I am pleased to announce the high frequency 980 bus trial operating between Caringbah Station and Lilli Pilli Point has been extended until December 2020.

This is to fully assess the patronage potential over a longer duration and determine suitable next steps.

The high frequency bus service is being trialled at Lilli Pilli Point and Caringbah Station using new look buses. Transport for NSW is using the trial to learn more about encouraging people to use public transport for the first and last segment of their journey.

Patronage trends and customer research during the initial trial have indicated positive growth, with customers shifting from private vehicle to bus due to the improved frequency and convenient connection to trains, especially in the PM peak period.

The 980 Turn Up and Go bus trial operates every 10 minutes during the AM and PM peaks along Port Hacking Road Monday to Friday, 6:05am to 8:45am to Caringbah Station (Hay Ave Shops bus stop) and 4:10pm to 8:10pm to Lilli Pilli Point.

Customers can tap on and off using their Opal card, credit and debit cards or linked smart devices.

Opal bus fares apply and customers will receive all Opal travel rewards, such as the $2 Opal transfer discount for adult fares, if they change between a train and a bus within 60 minutes from the last tap off.

I encourage that you plan your trip at www.transportnsw.info