Pyrenees Shire

ble path to take, and the community was consulted at that stage too. As wine production is a very important part of the economy in the Pyrenees Shire and the township of Moonambel effectively services that, the Coun- cil wanted to ensure that everything would go smoothly. Enterprises in and around the area are significant. The wineries are a significant contributor to the local economy with grape grow- ing and the production of some high quality wine. This enables growth in tourism and compliments other busi- ness activity in food and accommoda- tion services. Sustainability investments On top of all that, the Council is also heavily invested into sustainability. Their regional bioenergy project re- cently won a sustainability award after being implemented in a local hospital. The pilot project uses timber biprod- ucts from nearby timber mills which would have otherwise been considered as waste. By utilising such resources, the project was able to reduce power costs for the hospital while providing an efficient operation. The Council, on behalf of the region, facilitated and de- livered a government grant. Interest-