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Page Last Updated:
Tuesday, 13 May 2008 |
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Home>Council>About Alpine
The Alpine Shire is a vibrant community located about 300 kilometres north east of Melbourne, and 70 kilometres south of Albury / Wodonga.
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| It is a regional community with the three major townships of Bright, Mount Beauty and Myrtleford located in the two major river valleys; the Ovens and Kiewa valleys. The Alpine Shire covers an area of 4,839 square kilometres, and encompasses the Buffalo, Ovens and Kiewa Rivers and their tributaries.
About 92% of the Shire is public land, including large tracts of the Alpine National Park, as well as the whole of the Mount Buffalo National Park. The remaining 8% of land comprises townships and farming land which exist along the flood plains of the river valleys, rising up to meet public land on the hill slopes. The major townships are nestled in the valleys, located along the river systems. The Shire extends from the heights of the mountains, snowfields and National Parks down to rich, fertile river valleys at its floor.
The Shire boasts a number of natural features including the Bogong High Plains, the Kiewa Valley, Ovens Valley and the Buffalo River Valley. The Shire also surrounds some of Victoria’s major ski resorts at Mount Hotham, and Falls Creek, with smaller snowfield attractions at Dinner Plain and Mount Buffalo. The Shire has a vibrant history, with agriculture, gold prospecting and the construction of the Kiewa hydro electric scheme all playing their part in creating what is today a wonderful mix of history, culture and experience.
Around 13,000 people call the Alpine Shire home, but the population swells as tourists make their way to enjoy the delights that the Shire has to offer.
Alpine has a large population of over 55s, with the 2006 Census revealing that 33.7% of the population is aged over 55, compared to an Australian average of 24.3%. This provides unique challenges to the Council in order to provide adequate services for an ageing population.
Alpine Shire has an industry mix that covers goods producing industries (agriculture, manufacturing, construction) and services. The key sectors are tourism, timber and forestry, agriculture (livestock and horticulture), services (health, education, community services), and retail. Tourism is a major driver of the economy. Combined with the Alpine ski resorts, tourism is worth around $300 million per annum to the region.
Water is an important part of the Alpine Shire, with the Buffalo Dam (Lake Buffalo) being a major storage on the Buffalo River, providing water to the Ovens River downstream of Myrtleford. The Kiewa River is regulated by the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme, leaving the upper Ovens River and the Buckland River as unregulated streams in the Shire.
The Alpine Shire continues to be a prosperous community and an attractive region in which to live, work, invest and visit.
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