Alpine Shire Council is drafting the ‘Your Town, Your Future’ Alpine Land Development Strategy, and is seeking community members and business operators to join a Community Reference Group to inform the document.
Alpine Shire Mayor Sarah Nicholas said planning for future growth is essential, and the community holds valuable insight and understanding to help Council plan for the future.
“Change can be exciting, but we want to ensure the community is involved in planning for this growth,” she said.
“How do you want to see your town grow?
“It may be more apartments or townhouses in Bright to meet demand for more affordable housing, or large lifestyle developments in Mount Beauty.
“We might see Myrtleford as a key growth area, or Porepunkah could be a targeted growth zone and eventually double in size.
“There are plenty of options, but we need the community to help us make these choices.”
Council is required under State Government planning policy to maintain 15 years of residential land supply in the Alpine Shire.
Recent census data shows an increased rate of change over the past few years, with little sign of slowing down.
“That makes right now a great time to consider how and where we want to see our communities grow in the future,” Cr Nicholas said.
“‘Your Town, Your Future’ will pull together extensive land and development information, and take into account the views of our communities, business operators and experts in the strategic development and planning fields.
“This is a whole-of-community document and we strongly encourage anyone who wants to shape the future of the Alpine Shire to take up this opportunity to participate.”
“Your Town, Your Future” aims to ensure growth and change in local towns is managed in a sustainable way, preserving valued historic, cultural, and natural landscapes for future generations and supporting the wellbeing and prosperity of current and emerging communities.
Community Reference Group
Expressions of Interest for the ‘Your Town, Your Future’ Community Reference Group have now closed.
Further opportunities to have your say will be available via a survey which will be open in October and November. Please keep an eye on our socials for further information.
What happens next
Expressions of Interest will be assessed and successful and unsuccessful applicants informed on Wednesday, 5 October.
Two, 1.5-hour-long workshops will be held from 6.30pm on Wednesday, 19 October and Thursday, 20 October (venues TBC). These workshops will be in-person and facilitated by Council and our project consultant SGS Planning and Economics.
Community Reference Group members will receive some pre-reading and workshop invitations on Monday, 10 October.
A six-week community engagement phase will begin on Monday, 10 October until Sunday, 20 November. This will include a public survey and community pop-ups in Bright, Porepunkah, Mount Beauty and Myrtleford.
