w w w.gr owmeth emoney .com.au The Grand Hotel ACTION Mornington’s Grand Hotel is aptly named. After all, its magnificent tower has overlooked the seaside suburb’s iconic Main Street shopping precinct for 142 years. 1 2 For 36 years of those, the Taylor name has been synonymous with The Grand, the family owning and operating the heritage-listed building over that period. Steering the ship is youngest of the clan and General Manager Pir Taylor-Price. She is acutely aware of the need to run the business as environmentally soundly as possible and considers the Grow Me The Money program as pivotal to achieving improved results in regard to carbon footprint reduction. “We did a thorough search and found that the Grow Me The Money program was the most comprehensive and effective for what we were looking to achieve. We spoke to others that had started the program and they highly recommended it, so we chose it.” While The Grand’s wonderful character is a major drawcard, its heritage listing presented some challenges in regard to reducing the business’ carbon footprint. With the guidance of Grow Me The Money, Taylor-Price oversaw the installation of solar panels, offering savings to the hotel’s power usage and carbon footprint reduction. Taylor-Price also suggests that the monitoring and regular reporting from Grow Me The Money offer huge benefits. “We have been very impressed with the Grow Me The Money program because it allows us to measure savings and monitor our practices while providing great guidance along the way. Our water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions levels are just two examples. Now we can see the great savings we have made using the program, and we present figures to the staff at meetings, using it to show a positive outcome.” With a 150-seat restaurant representing a mainstay of the business, it was clear that this area would be an area of focus. “We looked at water saving and now have pedal taps for the chefs. We also fitted dimmers on all lighting – along with recycling systems for our glass, plastic bottles and paper.” The action plan supplied by Grow Me The Money has proven invaluable at The Grand Hotel. “Staff handbooks and payslips – emailed to save paper – carry specific information regarding the hotel’s environmental measurements. Staff are informed of savings and results, giving them the clear understanding that the good practices they adopt make a big difference over time.” The Grand Hotel has been recognised by Grow Me The Money as a top three finalist in 2010. It also won the Australian Hotels state award twice and has won at national level for its environmental practices. *Grow Me The Money is an initiative to help small business become more sustainable, and save money on resource usage by following a 12-step online program. POINTS Energy saving globes and downlights fitted throughout entire premises. 3 4 Kitchen areas equipped with water-saving fittings. Improved glass and dishwashing systems. Cleaning products audited and adjusted for biodegradability. 5 6 Office systems analysed for paper wastage and adjusted to include email payslip delivery. Air conditioning systems upgraded for reduced consumptions and associated GHG emissions. 7 8 Staff information program introduced. Promotional campaign to inform and educate customers introduced.