What's different about the Shire
Surf beaches from Cronulla to Wanda
Four surf life saving clubs patrol the ocean beaches from Cronulla north to Wanda. The AS 4312 corrosion guide puts the strip within 200 m of surf beaches in its harshest band, C5.
Sheltered water on Port Hacking and the bay
The Shire sits directly south of Botany Bay and the Georges River, and Bundeena and Maianbar are on the southern shore of Port Hacking. For calm salt water, the same guide rates the shoreline to 50 m inland as C4 and 50 m to 1 km back as C3.
The bush edge
The Royal National Park covers just under 18,000 ha. In January 1994, fires destroyed parts of Como West, Jannali and Bonnet Bay and reached Bundeena, Maianbar and Heathcote. The Shire has 12 Rural Fire Service stations.
Post-war houses, then Menai
After the Second World War the Housing Commission bought land here for 'homes for heroes', and the district only became suburban in the early 1950s. The Menai area, west of the Woronora River, was released in the 1970s.
Mostly houses, mostly owned
At the 2021 Census, 60.8% of the Shire's homes were separate houses and 24.8% flats or apartments. Only 22.3% were rented.
The jobs that come up most in the Shire
Replacing an older system in a 1950s to 1970s house. Solar Victoria says a system more than 15 years old typically uses more than three times the energy of a modern reverse cycle unit. If the original ducted gas heater is on its way out, the ACT Government notes its ducts are too narrow to reuse for reverse cycle, so a ducted quote should include new ductwork. See ducted heating replacement.
Splits in units around Miranda, Sutherland and Cronulla. In NSW a new reverse cycle unit in a strata building is a minor renovation, decided by majority vote unless a by-law lets the committee approve it.
Servicing near the water. Daikin's warranty card leaves extra corrosion protection in sea air to the owner, and ActronAir describes it as washing down the outdoor unit with a mild detergent. Book it in with a service.
What we'd do
Where we'd start in the Shire
We'd work out which edge we're on first. Near the surf, we'd want a coastal-protected model and a wash-down routine written on the quote. On the bush side, we'd keep the outdoor unit clear of leaf litter and mention the bush when booking, so the installer can plan where it goes. In an older house, we'd get a quote that compares repairing the old heater with replacing it. Licence-checked local installers who do that kind of job see what you send us, and only the one who takes it gets your contact details. If nobody in the Shire takes it within 48 hours, installers elsewhere in NSW may see it too.
