TRINITY Point, the future of Morisset Memorial Hall, and a Morisset by-pass are just a few of the hot button topics Jo Hanlon looks forward to exploring with locals.
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Ms Hanlon, of Bonnells Bay, is the new president of Southlake Business Chamber and Community Alliance (SBCCA).
As the founder of the human resources, coaching and consultancy company, Mind Your Ps, Ms Hanlon said she was passionate about helping people to become the best possible versions of themselves.
She now wants the same for Morisset and the entire Southlake district.
“I see incredible potential here,” Ms Hanlon said.
“I see the activity and growth happening in business and residentially, and I’d like to take an active role in developing the infrastructure priorities in the area for our future,” Ms Hanlon said.
Exactly what those priorities should be is up for debate.
But the key to having the district’s voice heard, and to getting things done, she said, was collaboration.
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Some of the challenges facing Morisset were tricky, she said.
There is the vexing issue of what should become of Morisset Memorial Hall, and the council’s plans for a civic hub.
And what could or should happen on Dora Street?
On one hand, there are recurring calls to have a by-pass created to ease traffic snarls. On the other, she said, more should be done to “get people to stay a bit longer in Morisset and spend more money”.
Ms Hanlon said smart solutions to these and other local problems could be closer than originally thought. The district was home to some exceptional retirees boasting plenty of know-how and experience, she said.
“How can we harness their contacts, their skills, and their influence?”
Ms Hanlon said the $388-million Trinity Point development, at Morisset Park, would be a boon for the area, which would attract people with money: but does the district currently offer enough enticing ways for them to spend it?
“Morisset is such a gateway town. But when you drive in at the moment, we haven’t even got kerbing on both sides of the road,” she said.
Ms Hanlon is English born, and started her working life as a registered nurse in New Zealand. She transitioned into sales and then business management roles. She has a masters degree in business administration.
The newly elected SBCCA treasurer is Allen Hattaway, and the secretary is Ann Morris.
