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Ethan Ewing has won his maiden World Surf League event after coming up trumps in an all-Australian J-Bay final against Jack Robinson, but Tyler Wright fell just short in the women's draw.

Ewing defeated world No.2 Robinson 16.80 to 16.30 in a high-quality final on Friday to break through for his first Championship Tour event win.

The 23-year-old's late mother, Helen Ewing, won at Bells Beach in 1983, and Ewing was thrilled to break through at J-Bay.

"This event is one of the dream events to win," Ewing said.

"I've been so inspired by the young guys this year like Jack (Robinson) and Griffin (Colapinto) getting wins, and it's weird when you haven't got a win yet.

"It's kind of putting pressure on yourself. But it feels so good now.

"It's been such a good year. Last year was kind of a warm-up. This year I'm feeling comfortable."

Ewing broke the final wide open with a 9.13 ride, and his victory saw him rise from fifth to third in the world rankings.

With just one event remaining on the 10-stop tour, Ewing is well-placed to finish in the top five and secure a spot in the season-ending finals at Lower Trestles in California.

Robinson is already secured a spot, and he fell just short of snaring his third tour win this year.

Wright still faces a fight to secure her own spot in the WSL finals despite her strong showing in South Africa.

The two-time world champion secured a spot in the J-Bay decider with victory over fellow Australian and seven-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore in the semis.

But Tatiana Weston-Webb proved too good in the final, with the Brazilian goofy footer winning 17.50 to 15.67.

Wright was in desperate need of victory at J-Bay after her past three events were ruined by COVID-19 and bad luck.

She was forced out midway through G-Land after testing positive to COVID-19, and she missed the following event in El Salvador due to a slow recovery from the virus.

Wright's luck turned from bad to worse when she had to give up her spot at the Rio Pro after visa issues meant she couldn't enter Brazil in time.

The triple blow saw her slip from fourth to 10th in the rankings, but she has risen back up to seventh and could sneak into the top five with a big result at the Tahiti Pro.

© AAP 2022

Vulnerable communities across NSW can access 10 free rapid antigen tests over three months, with the state expanding its concession program as COVID-19 cases surge.

The government will provide free RATs to vulnerable communities by expanding its existing program to include those accessing tests through the federal government's Concessional Access Program.

The scheme, which provides free tests to concession card holders, is due to expire at the end of the month.

It comes as NSW schools return on Monday with principals given a range of measures to curb cases as a new wave emerges.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said his government is committed to leaving no one behind through winter.

"We want to make sure that our vulnerable communities have access to these tests," he told reporters on Friday.

"We know they work, we know that they make a real difference and are a crucial part of everyone taking that responsibility as we move through this next phase of COVID."

"(The virus) is not going away and that means we have to keep taking personal responsibility."

The premier also urged residents to take up their flu and COVID-19 booster shots.

"There's a broader responsibility we have, and that's to ... ease the pressure on the health system here in our state and around the country," he said.

Mandating masks, banning big gatherings and axing assemblies are some of the options on the table for schools to control case numbers.

Teachers in NSW have taken 30 per cent more sick days as the state and federal governments continue to wind back health restrictions and support systems.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell pointed to schools experiencing a double whammy of coronavirus and flu.

"We are absolutely feeling the pressure ... in our schools , there's no question of that," she said on Friday.

"(People) know what they need to do now in terms of living with COVID in our schools. But we're in winter and we know that term three will probably have some bumps along the way."

Schools that experience large outbreaks will move to limit assemblies and large gatherings.

Mask mandates could also return however health authorities are still recommending rather than mandating mask wearing.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said messaging around health measures has changed as authorities gained a better understanding of the virus.

"We have responded to the evidence changing, we need to re-communicate those messages and build an understanding in the community," Dr Chant told ABC News on Friday.

"The reason we are changing those messages is not because we got it wrong at one point in time, but in fact because the evidence has evolved, or in the case of Omicron, the virus has changed," she said.

Minister for Multiculturalism Mark Coure said the expanded program would allow eligible concession card holders to access 10 RATs over the three months up to October 31.

"There is no need to rush or panic about whether or not you will be able to access tests. We have enough tests to support you," he said in a statement.

Vulnerable communities eligible for free tests include people with disability and their carers, homelessness services, social housing tenants, multicultural groups as well as children and young people in out-of-home care.

Tests will be available through 210 neighbourhood and community centres across the state.

© AAP 2022

The families of four children killed by a drunk, drugged and speeding driver say they are devastated by an appeal court decision to cut his jail term.

"We were all shocked with this verdict," Leila Abdallah, the mother of three of the children, told AAP on Friday.

"It's so unjust," Bridget Sakr, the mother of the other child, told 2GB.

Samuel William Davidson struck Veronique Sakr, 11, and her cousins, Sienna Abdallah, eight, and her siblings Angelina, 12, and Antony, 13, as they walked on the footpath to buy ice-creams.

The 29-year-old ploughed into them after his ute mounted a kerb at Oatlands, in Sydney's northwest on February 1, 2020.

He was jailed in April 2021 for 28 years with a non-parole period of 21 years.

But on Friday in a majority decision, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal concluded the term was manifestly excessive.

Davidson was resentenced to a term of 20 years with a non-parole period of 15 years.

Ms Sakr said the new sentence worked out to be 3.75 years per child, asking "what message does that send?"

The families attended his appeal hearing, when it was submitted he had a crushing sentence but Ms Sakr said that could not be compared to a life crushed.

She said she would continue to work with politicians to get law reform.

Ms Abdallah said the eight-year reduction "is a big chunk of time", but nothing could bring back their kids.

"Whether he gets one year, 28 years or 15 years, it's not going to affect anything, we have truly forgiven him," she told reporters.

Her husband Danny said it set a precedent, giving "other people permission to drink and drive and take drugs and run over kids". But his family was trying to move forward with their grief so were not going to dwell on it.

Davidson pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter and to charges related to the injuries caused to the other three children.

One boy has suffered permanent brain damage.

The sentencing judge said Davidson's menacing, dangerous and aggressive driving showed all responsibility to the road safety of others was abandoned.

The tragedy was inevitable, but the magnitude of the tragedy extended to the unimaginable, he said.

Justice Christine Adamson dissented from the conclusion of Justices Paul Brereton and Natalie Adams who found the "aggregate" term - which is imposed instead of separate terms for each offence - was manifestly excessive.

"The sentencing judge was faced with a difficult task in sentencing the applicant for the highest number of manslaughter charges arising from the one act of criminal negligence in NSW to date," Justice Adams said.

While there were no other aggregate sentences for four deaths for the appeal court to consider, she said there were cases where the criminally negligent driving was comparable even though it resulted in fewer deaths.

After considering these cases, relevant sentencing principles and other data, she was satisfied the aggregate sentence imposed was "unreasonable or plainly unjust".

"The real question raised by this appeal is how the fact of the multiple deaths is to be punished in circumstances where the same act in driving caused four deaths," she said.

"His one act of criminally negligent driving had catastrophic consequences."

In resentencing, she said Davidson was a man of prior good character, had genuine remorse, little risk of re-offending and had suffered the long-term impact of ADHD

"As the sentencing judge noted, the purposes of specific deterrence, protection of the community and rehabilitation are of less significance in this matter."

Justice Adams said the court had to reconcile the grief of the children's families with applying relevant sentencing principles to arrive at the appropriate aggregate sentence to punish Davidson.

The dissenting judge, Justice Adamson, said the District Court judge's carefully expressed and well-reasoned judgment explained how and why the aggregate sentence was imposed.

"There is no error in either the process or the result," she said.

The sentence imposed was lengthy because the crimes were so objectively serious, while there were limited subjective factors in his favour.

"I am not persuaded that this Court ought intervene on the basis that the sentence might be regarded by the applicant as crushing."

© AAP 2022