Alpine Shire Council is developing a Draft Street Tree Master Plan to support the strategic management and conservation of trees located along footpaths, on nature strips, and on public land located beside Council-managed road reserves.
The Draft Master Plan will map all relevant street trees across Alpine Shire and outline items such as planting guidelines, replacement strategies, and targets for canopy cover across urban areas to increase shade, cooling, and public amenity.
Council invites community members to contribute to this pre-draft consultation phase, which will inform the preparation of a draft master plan.
This pre-draft consultation phase aims to ensure that outcomes contained within the draft are informed by local priorities and preferences, balanced alongside what is environmentally sustainable for the collective future of Alpine Shire residents.
Alpine Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, emphasised the significance of street trees to Alpine Shire residents, acknowledging how they shape the unique identities of the various townships and contribute to sustainability goals across the region.
"When people see our street trees, they know that they're home," she said.
"They are integral to our sense of place, so we need to ensure that we have a long-term plan to maintain the integrity of our avenues, whilst supporting both conservation and replacement of these beautiful and important assets."
Cr Nicholas stated that a high proportion of street trees across the region are reaching maturity, which is increasing the risk of fallen branches in parks and across footpaths.
"Trees are living assets that must be managed sensitively and strategically," she said.
"We know that some of our trees have reached the end of their natural lifespan, so we need to have a plan in place to replace them in a way that meets the expectations of our communities, as well as the actions identified in our Climate Action Plan for an environmentally sustainable future."
The significance of street trees across the region is not identified in the Alpine Shire Planning Scheme. The Alpine Shire Planning Scheme Review 2023 identified the need to prepare guidelines for the planting, retention, and replacement of canopy trees.
The Review also recommended that Council prepare a strategy to increase the number of canopy trees across Alpine Shire.
Community members can contribute to the development of the Draft Master Plan in several ways:
- Completing a survey either online on Engage Alpine, or in-person at one of the Alpine Libraries in Bright, Mount Beauty, and Myrtleford;
- Mapping significant street trees, as well as identifying preferred areas for future plantings, on a digital map of Alpine Shire online on Engage Alpine; and
- Speaking to representatives from Council's Strategic Planning and Sustainability Teams in-person at market pop-ups across Bright, Mount Beauty, and Myrtleford.
More information, including ways to contribute, can be found online by visiting Engage Alpine: https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/draft-street-tree-master-plan
Pre-draft engagement will close on Tuesday, 31 March 2026.
Representatives from Council's Strategic Planning and Sustainability Teams will be attending the following markets in February and March:
Myrtleford Farmers' Market
8.30am - 12.30pm on Saturday, 28 February 2026
The Piazza, Myrtleford
Mount Beauty Market
9am - 1pm on Saturday, 7 March 2026
Hydro Park, Mount Beauty
Make it, Bake it, Grow it Market in Bright
9am - 1pm on Saturday, 21 March 2026
Howitt Park, Bright