An invitation to receive public submissions on the Draft Budget 2026/27, Council's formal advocacy position for the 2026 State Election, and the Tracks and Trails Master Plan 2025-2034 were on the agenda at last night's Ordinary Council Meeting.
At the meeting, Council:
> 8.1.1 Noted two Capital Project contracts approved under delegation by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO):
> Contract No. Q26209 - Wide area mower to AgPower and Transport - Lilydale, Victoria, for $145,450.00 (excluding GST); and
> Contract No. Q26210 - Trailer-mounted drain cleaning unit to Enviroline Group Pty Ltd - St Mary's, New South Wales, for $132,332.32 (excluding GST).
> 8.1.2 Acknowledged the importance of strong, coordinated advocacy in fulfilling Council's role as a representative of, and advocate for, the Alpine Shire municipal community;
> Endorsed key advocacy priorities for the 2026 State Government election, as detailed in the Council Report and summarised as follows:
> a. Connecting the Upper Kiewa - Funding to construct active transport links for the community and visitors
> b. Celebrating Wandiligong's Heritage - Funding to design and construct trail links through the historic township and landscapes
> c. Myrtleford Community Sports Hub - Funding for planning and design
> d. Future Ready Bright Masterplan - Funding for planning
> e. Increased Municipal Emergency Management Program (MERP) funding
> f. Improved community access to primary mental healthcare
> g. Appropriate maintenance funding for State-managed roads
> With the support of the Executive team, agreed to prioritise its advocacy efforts over the coming six (6) months through proactive engagement with the Government, the Opposition, and candidates at the upcoming election.
> 8.2.1 Received and noted the draft Alpine Shire Tracks and Trails Master Plan 2025-2034: Engagement Summary Report March 2026;
> Adopted the Alpine Shire Tracks and Trails Master Plan 2025-3024; and
> Noted that implementation of the Plan will be subject to securing external funding and will be delivered through a staged approach, with individual projects subject to future Council consideration, business cases, and assessment of ongoing operational and maintenance costs.
> 8.2.2 Approved a variation to Contract 2400801 Nimmo Pedestrian Bridge to North East Civil Construction Pty Ltd for $214,466 (excluding GST), resulting in unbudgeted spend of $199,981 (excluding GST); and
> Delegated authority to the CEO to sign the contract variation at the appropriate time.
> 8.2.3 Noted the content of the Capital Works Performance Report: April 2026, which provides an update on the status of the 2025/26 Capital Works Program.
> 8.2.4 Committed to unbudgeted expenditure of $272,000 (excluding GST) to deliver a new animal pound facility, of which $50,000 (excluding GST) will be expended in the 2025/26 financial year, and the balance of $222,000 (excluding GST) will be included in the draft 2026/27 Budget; and
> Noted that individual contracts associated with the delivery of this project are anticipated to be awarded under the financial delegation of the CEO.
> 8.2.5 Reaffirmed its advocacy position resolved at the Ordinary Council Meeting held on Tuesday, 24 June 2025, updated to align with the collective advocacy position of the group of 34 Victorian councils, which is to request:
> a. a delay in the implementation date for the mandatory glass service to allow for further evaluation and alignment with emerging national standards;
> b. expansion of Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme to include wine and spirit bottles; and
> c. finalisation of the Draft Household Waste and Recycling Service Standard 2024 (Draft Service Standard);
> Endorsed a community engagement process to determine a reasonably practicable glass-only service model for Alpine Shire, including:
> a. the method of collection that should be used in Alpine Shire to achieve compliance (i.e., kerbside collection versus drop-off);
> b. the volume of glass needing to be collected in a glass-only service, including the amount of glass not currently being taken out of the yellow bin through the use of Victoria's Container Deposit Scheme; and
> Noted that Council officers will consider community feedback and report back to Council at a future Council meeting.
> 8.3.1 Noted that submissions received as part of the exhibition of the draft Access and Inclusion Plan were considered in the review of the final Plan;
> Adopted the Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2026-2029; and
> Noted the Disability Access and Inclusion Plan Action Plan, which supports the implementation of the Disability Access and Inclusion Plan 2026-2029.
> 8.3.2 Endorsed the draft Surveillance Technology Policy to be placed on public exhibition for a period of four (4) weeks, in accordance with Council's Community Engagement Policy;
> Invited public submissions regarding the draft Surveillance Technology Policy; and
> Noted that submissions received as part of the exhibition of the draft Surveillance Technology Policy will be considered and the final Policy will be presented to be adopted at a future meeting of Council.
> 8.3.3 Noted that the Information Privacy Policy (V4) has been reviewed with minor amendments made to ensure legislative compliance;
> Adopted the Information Privacy Policy (V4);
> Revoked the previous Information Privacy Policy (V3); and
> Signed and sealed the Information Privacy Policy (V4).
> 8.3.4 Exercised the powers conferred by section 11(1)(b) of the Local Government Act 2020;
> Exercised the powers conferred by the legislation referred to in attachment 'S6 - Instrument of Delegation from Council to Members of Council Staff' (instrument S6); and
> Exercised the powers conferred by the legislation referred to in attachment 'S18 - Instrument of Sub-Delegation from Council to Members of Council Staff (EPA 2017)' (instrument S18).
> 8.3.5 Considered written community feedback received during the preparation of the draft 2026/27 Budget; and
> Provided a summary on Engage Alpine to inform community members of the impact their feedback has had on the development of the draft 2026/27 Budget.
> 8.3.6 Noted the draft Alpine Shire Council 2026/27 Budget, featuring a 1.84% increase on rate dollars per Capital Improved Value (CIV). This is in line with the 2.75% State Government cap under the Fair Go Rates System, adjusted to fulfil a Council directive to address an unintentional rate cap non-compliance in 2025/26 to the value of $168,713;
> Invited public submissions on this document in accordance with Council's Community Engagement Policy for a period of 28 days; and
> Considered a recommendation to adopt the final 2026/27 Budget at the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting.
> 8.3.7 Approved the appointment of Margaret Devlin from the Centre for Organisational Development as Independent Member on the Chief Executive Officer Employment and Remuneration Committee for a term of three (3) years (with an option for a further one (1) year) at a maximum four (4)-year contract value of $49,628 (excluding GST); and
> Delegated the signing of Contract CQ26203 to the Director Corporate and Community.
> 8.3.8 Adopted the Financial Reserves and Restricted Cash Policy;
> Approved the establishment of the following discretionary financial reserves:
> a. Capital Works Carry-Over Reserve
> b. Employee Entitlements Reserve
> c. Advanced Federal Financial Assistance Grants Reserve
> Signed and sealed the Financial Reserves and Restricted Cash Policy.
> 8.3.9 Noted the Statutory Planning Service Delivery: April Update and further actions being undertaken by the Statutory Planning team to improve statutory planning service delivery and the customer experience.
> 8.3.10 Received and noted the biannual community engagement results detailed in this report for the period ending 31 March 2026.
> 9 Received the summary of informal meetings of Councillors for March and April 2026.
To read the agenda and attachments, visit: https://www.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/about-us/our-council/council-meetings/council-meetings-2026
The meeting recording can be viewed on Council's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@alpineshirecouncilvideos4076/streams