An alleged illegal e-bike, which was seized during Friday's operation in Sutherland Shire, is wheeled into Cronulla Police Station. Picture NSW Police

Re the e-bike blitz police conducted in Sutherland Shire on Friday (Story Page 2) in which several illegal e-bikes were seized.

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The operation is still misdirected .The police have to visit and test bikes at schools to see if they are illegal. That is where the majority of issues are.

Police can also contact suppliers and gain access to customer details, which are taken when warranties are given.

Surely the police can run an operation to get those details. They then know where the bikes are kept , if they are not at school, and then a simple 30 second lift of the rear wheel and hitting the throttle will identify an illegal bike.

Then, give the owners say four weeks to return the bikes to being legal and then working with the supplier to ensure the unlock code no longer works is the only solution as even further rules, while needed, will not stop illegal use.

If you are a licence holder and get caught on one you should lose points. Why I say this I have seen obviously inebriated adults using e-bikes to get around on Fridays and Saturday, as well as riding up one way streets and generally not obeying road rules.

It has to be asked whether schools are facilitating illegal activity by allowing illegal bikes to be stored on their premises?

A number of private schools have refused to have them on the premises. Why do our local high schools allow this to happen?

The council also needs to be back on the Esplanade in the mornings. That is when you see adults, particularly on weekends, flouting the clear signage for no riding.

Lastly, the issue does not dissipate on weekends or after the sun goes down. In the mall this morning, two riders - one doubling - went down the mall and continued into Cronulla street the wrong way before stopping.

On Friday night and Saturday night before 10pm, Gerrale street is a hot spot.

Last night, girls were tripling on the road with no helmets and boys racing each other before heading down to Cronulla Park.

I know that I have written to you before, however this issue is far from resolved. It is time for another community forum in say early June, where the transport minister and police minister need to face the community and listen to direct feedback.

I honestly believe there is very strong community support for stiff penalties and a strong crackdown. I say this because everyone I talk to has had an issue, councillors receive a multitude of complaints as do both federal and state members.

Andrew (surname supplied) Cronulla

Heathcote Road. Picture by John Veage

HEATHCOTE ROAD WIDENING

Your article on April 27 regarding the commencement of road widening on Heathcote Road in the second half of 2026 brought back memories of the last round of roadworks in 2025, which resulted in six months of traffic chaos.

The upcoming works will span approximately two years, and with 24,000 vehicles using Heathcote Road daily, combined with the thousands more on the Princes Highway, we can expect even greater disruption.

Over the years, our politicians have made numerous promises and commitments to address the issues on Heathcote Road, yet the solutions provided have only been temporary fixes.

Transport NSW conducted community consultations in 2025, but the process was clearly low-key in terms of public engagement.

Only 26 written submissions were lodged concerning the road widening, and a 67-page report was issued by Transport NSW justifying the works.

Upon reviewing the report, it appears that Transport NSW sees no significant issues and believes they have everything under control.

However, history with Transport NSW does not inspire confidence regarding their ability to manage roadworks effectively.

The question must be raised: is the $180 million spend for 900 meters of a 24 km road problem the best use of funds in our electorate?

John Souvleris, Woronora Heights

WATERWAYS DECISION 

Re the council decision not to proceed with the rezoning of waterfront land, but to allow boat mooring pens in the W1 (Natural Waterways) zone, where they are not allowed at present.

I refer to Sutherland Shire Council's celebration of local koala habitat, which states: "When you're looking after koalas, you're looking after everything else at the same time"! www.facebook.com/share/r/18VtknB8Kj/

How is a waterway different to bushland?

Protecting koala habitat is no different to protecting fish habitat.

Eight councillors recently decided that there should be equity for ratepayers living adjacent to Crown land - that they should should all be able to apply to lease and build a vehicle port on it.

They decided that the rights given to some in the past should be given to all in the future. They decided this without a cumulative impact assessment of the past.

The councillors reason that those who pay more rates are entitled to more Crown land lease opportunities.

Seriously - imagine a zoning rule and a Crown land leasing policy that allowed residential ratepayers a lease to build private structures that protect off-road vehicles, bikes, caravans and trailers!

Yep, that's the slippery slope that eight councillors just committed to.

Sarah Davis, Gymea Bay

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