Hello readers,
Making news this week, St George and Sutherland branches of NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association join strike outside hospitals on Thursday as part of state-wide action to "fight for their patients".
Sutherland Branch President, Colette Duff, says staff are "fed up". A nurse for more than 26 years and a registered nurse in the Emergency Department (ED) for more than five years, she says it's the worst she's ever seen.
"Every day people say to me 'I need to find something else to do, I don't know how much longer I can do this for,'" she said.
"A nurse told me it's not uncommon to have 11 patients with an Assistant in Nursing. She was almost in tears. They are getting abused by patients, and are under so much pressure."
Those in the precinct have been hit with a 250 per cent increase in their resident parking permits.
Parking Permits cost $10 per annum between July 2016 and June 2020 until they increased to $12 per annum in the 2020/21 financial year for streets surrounding the hospital from Ocean to English Streets and in between.
For the 2022/23 financial year Residential Parking Permits rose to $30 per annum and Visitor Parking Permits to $50 per annum.
Georges River Council has called for a report to look at ways of implementing a revised Fees and Charges Schedule for Resident and Visitor Parking Permits in its seven Authorised Parking Permit Areas.
Keeping with the councils, Sutherland Shire Council seeks to hand over responsibility of Captain Cook Drive to state government in a bid to have the busy route upgraded.
The stretch north from Cronulla High School and Kurnell has a bad accident history and is regularly closed, cutting off Kurnell.
And staying with roads, a traffic study is to be carried out for Mater Dei Catholic Primary School, Blakehurst.
Georges RIver Councillor Natalie Mort said a review of the current traffic and pedestrian movements around the school was urgently needed to make it a safer environment.
"Unfortunately, the key issue for this particular school, unlike most others in our LGA, is that it is located in between two major arterial roads, King Georges Road and Princes Highway," Councillor Mort said.
"The other busy street which links these two is Terry Street. As a result at the busy school drop off and pick up times there are Clearways in action," she said.
Finishing on a happy note this week, we wish St Vincent's Aged Care Heathcote resident Norma Windle a happy 100th birthday.
Keeping up appearances and ensuring a life of "clean living" never passes by Norma Windle. The centenarian attributes her long life to maintaining a touch of feminine sparkle and a focus on inner health.
As always, this is a mere snippet of the week's events. I encourage you all to get along to theleader.com.au and keep yourselves informed.
Hope you all have a great week. Go the Sharkies (unless you take on the Rabbitohs in coming weeks).
All the best,
Matt Lawrence
Editor.
