Category — messages from michael

Since our last update we have been working on  repairs  to the site and those of you who are close to us will have seen the significant visual improvements that have been made to the shed above the slipway area. In the next few weeks the ugly cyclone wire gates will be replaced by new ‘barn’ type doors. Anyone travelling the waterway or living on the other side will see a significant improvement when this is complete.

From a distance other than for these visual improvements there may appear not much has happened, however that has not been the case.

Significant works have been carried out, many of them  repairing underground trenching to replace very dilapidated services, electricity supply and storm water and drainage. We have also done our best to keep noise to a minimum and with little to no weekend work.

By now we would have hoped to have repaired the marina pontoons however unfortunately it has been during these other works we have found significant weaknesses in the sea wall and repairs on that area and the area around the slipway will need to be carried out before we can finalize repairs to the marina arms. We hope to start those repair works in the next few months and we hope to minimize any disruption to you our neighbours.

Nothing it seems is as simple as it first appears.

We are also embarking on a mission to have something done about the unsightly and unsafe high voltage wires and towers either side of the creek and will be offering up an easement on our own land if the authorities will relocate them under the water way and under the roads either side.

We would hope that this would have your support . If there have been any previous but unsuccessful attempts to tackle this issue in the past please let us know.

The Hannan family has acquired the Sirsi marina together with the adjoining residential blocks.

We are pleased too that Angie Kearley a well known local and Pittwater resident is a stakeholder in the marina operation with us, a more passionate local would be hard to find.

Angie will play an important part in the day to day operations of the marina and will also be the spokesperson for us in ensuring that our local area and all our neighbours particularly are kept informed with regard to progress we will make improving the business and the facilities on the site.

Its fair to say we are keen to renovate from the somewhat run down waterfront appearance that we see today and have every intention of doing this in sympathy to the environment around us.

Anyone who knows the Hannan family will know that we are environmentally very aware and conscientious, for example on properties we own elsewhere we have planted more than 20,000 trees in recent times, at our major property in Alexandria, Sydney for example we harvest all roof top rainwater in a program that we call “Canned Raindrops” where water is stored in tanks most of which are buried underground and that water is used to water our own gardens at South Sydney Corporate Park including our own orchard in the staff lawn and BBQ area and the same water now supplies all the wash room facilities throughout this 40 acre corporate park.

As Australia’s largest privately owned printing group our print sites all have the highest levels of environmental accreditation and where-ever we go we are proud of the achievements we make which are often well above the requirements of the relevant authorities.

We look forward to working towards a very pleasing improvement at Sirsi in the coming period and we will be communicating on a regular basis with our local neighbours to ensure you are well informed of our plans as they develop.

Michael Hannan