16 News

There are widespread issues on the rail and roads networks today due to flooding and extreme weather. People who need to travel are urged to leave plenty of additional time and plan ahead, as impacts are expected for the remainder of the day.

This is a fast-moving situation, rail passengers are advised to check www.transportnsw.info or live travel apps, and motorists are advised to check www.livetraffic.com before travelling.

Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink passengers travelling on the T8 Airport & South, and Central Coast & Newcastle Lines, are advised to avoid non-essential travel as heavy rain is causing localised flooding on the rail network.

Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said, “We have emergency crews deployed across the network to address rising flood waters. We are monitoring key locations and intervening to reduce impacts to passenger services.”

Passengers on the T8 Airport & South Line between Revesby and Turrella, and the Central Coast Line between Newcastle and Morrisett are advised to seek alternative travel if possible as buses are replacing trains.

10 replacement buses are in operation between Revesby and Turrella to assist with passenger movements due to flooding between Bardwell Park and Bexley North.

Trains in or near the affected area will stop on platforms or between stations for longer than normal while the incident is ongoing. Trains departing Macarthur heading to the city will be diverted via other lines to the city.

On the Central Coast & Newcastle Line, Cockle Creek has continued to flood, with water over the rail and affecting signal equipment.

Between Kotara and Cardiff, there has been a substantial landslip. We have crews on the ground now assessing the damage.

Buses are replacing trains from Newcastle to Morrisett and Wyong in both directions.

Passengers on the T2 Leppington & T3 Liverpool and Inner West, T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Lines, Hunter Line, Southern Highlands Line and South Coast Lines are also seeing impacts from the extreme weather.

Hunter Line

Sandgate is flooded, we have limited buses replacing train services between Maitland, Dungog and Scone. Nine buses are in operation.

Southern Highlands Line

Train services are currently suspended between Picton and Moss Vale in both directions due to reports of flooding near Mittagong. Shuttle trains are operating between Campbelltown and Picton.

South Coast Line

At Helensburgh the rainfall monitors there are in warning mode, we are watching this, trains are being warned and slowing down through the area, resulting in minor delays.

T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra

Trains are experiencing minor delays due to water over the track earlier at Oatley, minor delays in both directions as a result.

T2 Leppington & T3 Liverpool and Inner West Lines

Passengers on these lines are experiencing flow on delays and some service gaps travelling away from the city, due to the flooding on the T8.

Blue Mountains

A failed freight train on the Blue Mountains line has been removed but passengers may experience some flow-on delays.

Roads

There are widespread impacts across the road network, with several major closures in place on the Mid North Coast, in the Hunter and across parts of Sydney.

In addition to state managed roads, many local roads managed by councils are also affected.

Floodwater is extremely dangerous, especially for drivers. If the road is flooded, forget it. Roads can close and reopen at short notice. Motorists should continue to avoid non-essential travel in flood-affected areas and visit www.livetraffic.com for the latest information.

Vivid Sydney

Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins said, “If you are heading in tonight to see Vivid Sydney please allow plenty of extra travel time and check your transport apps before heading out.

“The city is no place for cars during Vivid Sydney with road closures and parking restrictions in place each night on roads around the Harbour and surrounding Vivid Sydney precincts.”

For the latest public transport information, visit www.transportnsw.info or download a live travel app like the Opal app.

As severe weather continues to impact the NSW Mid-North Coast, communities are being urged to remain on high alert.

Heavy rainfall is forecast to continue throughout today, and flash flooding is a risk in the Mid-North Coast region and adjacent Northern Tablelands and the Hunter, with a particular focus between Kempsey and Dorrigo.  

While heavy rainfall continues, the impacts remain wide-reaching, with communities being strongly advised to evacuate when asked to do so by the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES).

To stay up to date with the latest warnings and advice, download the Hazards Near Me app. The number of people using the Hazards Near Me app has quadrupled in the past week from around 26,000 to more than 100,000 active users.

More than 2,500 personnel, 500 boats and vehicles and a fleet of helicopters have been deployed to support ongoing rescue efforts.

The NSW SES has responded to around 4,000 incidents since the severe weather began.

Rescues are continuing with around 300 people already brought to safety over the past 24 hours including dozens of overnight rescues.

Conditions remain challenging with fast flowing rivers, continuous rainfall and flooded roads making it difficult for emergency services to safely access some isolated areas. 

While authorities continue to work around the clock, emergency service crews can never guarantee an immediate rescue of those who remain in impacted areas.

In total, more than 500 flood rescues have been completed with the support of specialist flood and in water crews from the NSW SES, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Police, Marine Rescue NSW and VRA Rescue NSW. 

Personnel from Ambulance NSW, the NSW Rural Fire Service and Surf Life Saving NSW are also assisting in the natural disaster response, along with the Australian Defence Force.

14 evacuation centres remain open across the region where hundreds of people have taken emergency shelter overnight.

The community is being urged to heed the advice of emergency services and always avoid driving through floodwaters.

NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib has signed a protection order for volunteers involved in responding to this weather event ensuring their employment will not be affected while they assist in the response. 

As this situation continues to unfold, the ongoing support of volunteers will be crucial over the coming days and weeks.

If you are an individual or part of a group who is ready and willing to help, consider partnering with the NSW SES, local authorities and endorsed community groups.

Your support could be invaluable for urgent tasks such as sandbagging, sharing information, and participating in clean-up activities.

For evacuation centre locations and more information, visit the NSW SES website. 

Visit the Live Traffic NSW website for the latest road closures and traffic conditions. 

If you need assistance during floods and storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500. In a life-threatening situation, call Triple Zero (000).

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:

“We are sending in all our available emergency service resources to support the impacted region. Please check the NSW SES website and Hazards Near Me app and follow public safety advice.

“I want to thank all the amazing volunteers who are currently supporting flood-affected communities across the Mid-North Coast.

“I’ve signed a protection order for volunteers from the NSW SES and other emergency service organisations, providing employment protection while they’re undertaking vital assistance work supporting flood impacted communities.

“I encourage people to download the Hazards Near Me App which includes the latest warnings and information for impacted communities.”

With an increase in winter illnesses expected over the coming months, people across NSW are being reminded free and instant health advice and treatment is available 24/7 by calling Healthdirect on 1800 022 222.

A new campaign, launched by NSW Health this week, is encouraging all NSW residents to save 1800 022 222 in their phone, to be ready for when illness strikes over winter.

An increasing number of people are turning to the service to get the advice and reassurance they need to recover quickly.

Last winter, nearly 20,000 people across NSW called Healthdirect seeking care for their cold and flu symptoms, almost double the number of people from 2023.

Of these, four in five people avoided an unnecessary trip to the emergency department, instead managing their symptoms at home with virtual care or through an appointment with a GP or at a local urgent care service.

When people call Healthdirect, a registered nurse will ask some questions about their health. Depending on their condition, the nurse will recommend the right healthcare option. This may include a nearby doctor, pharmacist or urgent care service, connecting them with specialist virtual care, or calling an ambulance if it is life-threatening.

If you need support in your language, you can call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 and ask to be connected to healthdirect.

If you or someone you are with is experiencing a medical emergency, please continue to call Triple Zero (000) immediately. For example, you have difficulty breathing, chest pain, severe bleeding, sudden collapse or are seriously injured.

The Minns Labor Government has invested half a billion dollars into ED relief, which includes:

• $189 million in tax relief to incentivise GPs to maintain bulk-billing rates, meaning people with non-life-threatening conditions don’t need to present to the ED;
• $171.4 million to expand statewide virtual care services helping 180,000 avoid a trip to the ED;
• $100 million to continue urgent care services for a further two years to June 2027 providing a pathway to care outside of our hospitals for an estimated 114,000 patients;
• $70 million to expand emergency department short stay units to improve patient flow to reduce ED wait times by nearly 80,000 hours;
• $15.1 million for an Ambulance Matrix that provides real time hospital data to enable paramedics to transport patients to emergency departments with greater capacity and reducing wait times;
• $31.4 million to increase Hospital in the Home across the state allowing over 3,500 additional patients each year to be cared for in their home rather than a hospital bed
• $53.9 million to improve patient flow and support discharge planning by identified patients early on that are suitable to be discharged home with the appropriate supports in place.

Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“If you or someone you care about needs health advice, treatment or care Healthdirect should be your first call. 

“Whether it’s a tumble in the playground or a bad bug keeping you up through the night – free, instant health advice is only a phone call away.

“Have the number handy for those times when you need professional and reassuring health advice.

“Don’t wait, save the Healthdirect number 1800 022 222 today and share the number with those you love. This simple call has saved thousands of people a needless trip to the ED and has ensured people can access the right care at the right time – and fast.”

The Minns Labor Government, the University of Sydney and the Sydney Local Health District will today break ground on the $780 million Sydney Biomedical Accelerator, a world class health education and research complex that will house more than 1200 researchers and clinician scientists on its 36,000 square metre site, spanning the University and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Due to open in 2028, the giant facility will be a major centre for biomedical innovation and research – bringing the disciplines of biology and medicine together to fast-track scientific discovery into real life health outcomes for patients and strengthen Australia’s global leadership in biomedicine.

Following a competitive tender process Australian-owned Richard Crookes Constructions has been selected as construction partner to build the complex, which includes two new biomedical research buildings over eight levels, and connecting bridges between the university and RPA.

An independent business with a strong track record in health construction, Richard Crookes’ expertise will be key to bringing the project’s vision to life and will employ more than 3,000 workers during construction.

Connecting the hospital and university is crucial for the new facility to enable a seamless exchange of knowledge from lab to bedside, such as by conducting targeted clinical trials.

The facility will include:

• Laboratory and collaboration spaces for researchers, clinicians, and industry, including an innovation and start-up hub.
• A high-tech biobank – a storage facility for tissue samples, cells, blood and DNA used for research.
• High-performing computing.
• Precision medicine.
• State-of-the-art surgery and anatomy research and teaching.
• Core research facilities for microscopy, preclinical imaging, drug discovery, protein production and purification.
• Clinical trials and patient-facing clinical spaces.

The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator will also help attract and retain world class researchers, provide anatomy training facilities for our future health workforce, and create career opportunities for those wanting to break into the field of medical and scientific research.

The NSW Health Research and Innovation Strategy was released this month. The Strategy seeks to foster a coordinated collaborative research environment across NSW.

Health Minister, Ryan Park:

“This new facility is set to change the game when it comes to research into diagnostics and treatments in Australia, and I am really proud that we have it here in New South Wales.

“Benchmarked against the world’s leading biomedical facilities, the Accelerator is set to change to landscape of medical research, and I hope it becomes a major drawcard for world class health researchers.  

“Cutting-edge laboratories will empower researchers to accelerate the discovery of cures and treatments for a wide range of diseases, driving medical breakthroughs with greater speed and precision.”

Minister for Medical Research, David Harris:

“The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator is more than just a new building, it’s a launchpad for the next generation of medical breakthroughs. 

“We know that for NSW to be a world leader in medical research we need to continue to foster collaboration across government, health, industry and academia. 

“By bringing together scientists, clinicians and innovators under one roof, we’re laying the foundation for discoveries that will shape the future of healthcare in this country and across the globe.”

Sydney Local Health District Chief Executive, Deb Willcox AM:

“The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator represents a transformative leap in our health and medical research landscape.

“By bringing together class-leading laboratories, clinicians and academics from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the University of Sydney, we can accelerate the journey from scientific discovery to real‑world patient outcomes, cementing our position as a global leader in biomedical innovation.”

University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Mark Scott AO: 

“The Sydney Biomedical Accelerator is a bold step forward in Australia’s research and development landscape.

“What makes it unique is its integration of world-class research with innovation, commercial translation, and real-world clinical outcomes. It will be a place for discovery – but also one where ideas transform into impact, accelerating solutions from the lab bench to the bedside and beyond.”