The Alpine Shire Council 2026/27 Budget, the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026-2029; and introduction of 24-hour cat confinement, effective from 1 July 2027, were on the agenda at last night's Ordinary Council Meeting.
At the meeting, Council:
8.1.1 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Note that Alpine, Indigo, and Towong Shire Councils have chosen to conduct a joint procurement process for the provision of swimming pools management services across all three shires, and that a success contract outcome is conditional on Indigo and Towong Shire Councils each awarding a contract to the same operator;
> Award Contract No. 26/7364 for the Provision of Swimming Pools Management Services in Alpine Shire to Belgravia Leisure Pty Ltd for a three-year period commencing 1 September 2026 with three one-year extension options at a contract price for the initial three-year term of $1,361,881 (excluding GST); and
> Delegate authority to the CEO to finalise the details and to execute the contract documents on its behalf.
8.1.2 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Note that Council's grant application to the Australian Government's Community Energy Upgrades Fund (CEUF) Round 2 program was successful;
> Commit to a co-contribution of up to $350,000 (excluding GST) of Council funding to secure up to $350,000 (excluding GST) of funding under this grant funding program, resulting in a total project budget of up to $700,000 to deliver energy upgrades to Council-owned buildings over the 2026/27 and the 2027/28 financial years;
> Note the inclusion of $200,000 in the Alpine Shire Council Budget 2026/27, which will serve as a co-contribution to this grant application;
> Note an allocation of $150,000 will be required and considered for inclusion in the Alpine Shire Council Budget 2027/28 as a co-contribution to this grant application;
> Note that Council officers are engaging with the grant funding authority to finalise the list of projects for inclusion in the grant funding agreement; and
> Delegate authority to the CEO to finalise the list of preferred projects and to execute the funding agreement on its behalf.
8.2.1 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Issue a planning permit for buildings and works associated with minor sports and recreation facility and the construction and display of a business identification sign for the redevelopment of the Porepunkah Panthers Baseball Club clubrooms in Porepunkah in accordance with the conditions outlined in Attachment 8.2.1.3 of the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting attachments.
8.2.2 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Issue a Notice of Decision to grant a planning permit for use and development of a service industry (commercial laundry) within 100m of land within a residential zone and a reduction of the car parking requirement to expand the established Bright Laundry in Myrtleford in accordance with the conditions outlined in Attachment 8.2.2.1 of the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting attachments.
8.2.3 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Note:
> a. the outcomes of the Bright Rod Run 2025 post-event debrief;
> b. that Council officers will implement the management of the informal, Bright CBD aspects of the 2026 event to improve traffic management, reduce risk, and support emergency services access;
> c. the proposed allocation of $60,000 in the 2026/27 Budget to support traffic management, risk mitigation, facility, and waste management costs in the Bright CBD;
> Approve the implementation of alcohol restrictions in Bright town centre and Pioneer Park from 10pm on Thursday, 5 November 2026 to 7am on Monday, 9 November 2026 under Clause 2.2.1 of the Alpine Shire Community Local Law 2019, as per the alcohol restriction maps outlined in Attachments 8.2.3.1 and 8.2.3.2 of the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting attachments; and
> Note that:
> a. Bright Rod and Kustom Club Inc. intend to host a ticketed event in Pioneer Park which is yet to be permitted by Council;
> The Alpine Hotel must apply for a separate event permit to extend the red line to the front of the Hotel; and
> Council will work with licensed operators in the restricted area to support them to operate within their red line area in compliance with event permit requirements.
8.2.4 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Note that, following advice from the Essential Services Commission, the previous resolution made at item 9.1.5 Rate Cap Non-Compliance at the Ordinary Council Meeting held 16 December 2025, which outlined an intention to declare rates and charges for the 2026/27 financial year at an amount of $168,713 below that which would have been raised under the Fair Go Rates system, is no longer the preferred method of rectifying the non-compliance of the 2025/26 rate cap and will therefore not be acted upon;
> Declare rates and charges for 2026/27 that returns Council to the rate base it would have achieved if it did not breach the rate cap in 2025/26;
> Declare rates and charges of $24,244,000 be raised in the 2026/27 financial year and featuring a 1.78% rate increase, for the purpose of section 94(1) of the Local Government Act 2020, based on setting the 'rate in the dollar' and 'charges' as outlined in the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting agenda;
> Declare a rate credit to be applied to all rateable properties affected by the non-compliance of the 2025/26 rate cap based on differential categories to return the overpayment amount as outlined in the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting agenda; and
> Declare that rates and charges be paid by four instalments on or before 30 September 2026, 30 November 2026, 28 February 2027, and 31 May 2027 in accordance with Section 167 of the Local Government Act 1989.
8.2.5 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Consider eight written submissions received pursuant to Council's Community Engagement Policy in relation to the draft Alpine Shire Council 2026/27 Budget;
> Consider as a further submission to the draft Alpine Shire Council 2026/27 Budget, a request received on 22 March 2026 from the Porepunkah Panthers Baseball Club;
> Make amendments to the draft Budget 2026/27 across capital expenditure, operational expenditure, and income as outlined in the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting agenda;
> Note the addition to the final budget of Council's co-contribution to successful State Government's Tiny Town Fund grant applications as outlined in the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting agenda;
> Note community submissions that did not result in changes to the draft Budget 2026/27 as outlined in the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting agenda; and
> Notify in writing each person, or persons, who made a submission to the draft 2026/27 Budget, setting out the decision and the reasons for that decision.
8.2.6 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Adopt the Alpine Shire Council 2026/27 Budget incorporating the amendments adopted by Council in the budget submissions report as outlined in agenda items 8.1.3 and 8.1.4 of the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting agenda and incorporating rates and charges;
> Authorise the CEO to give public notice of adoption of the Budget 2026/27; and
> Delegate authority to the CEO to reflect any changes made by Council at the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting, which are not reflected in the Budget document as attachment 8.1.5, and to make minor typographical corrections.
8.2.7 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Approve the final expenditure from the Dinner Plain Reserve for 2025/26 of $645,494 as outlined in the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting agenda and noted this figure is subject to audit and transactions finalised during June 2026; and
> Approve use of the Dinner Plain Reserve to fund approved projects and services as listed in the June 2026 Ordinary Council Meeting agenda and totalling $224,000 to be delivered specifically to Dinner Plain and as aligned with the 2026/27 Budget.
8.2.8 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Acknowledge the submissions received during the exhibition of the draft Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026-2029;
> Adopt the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026-2029;
> Sign and seal the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026-2029;
> Provide a copy of the Domestic Animal Management Plan 2026-2029 to the Secretary of Victoria's Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA); and
> Make an Order under Section 25 of the Domestic Animals Act 1994 to introduce 24-hour cat confinement, effective from 1 July 2027.
8.2.9 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Acknowledge the submissions received as part of the exhibition of the draft Dog Incident Policy;
> Adopt the Dog Incident Policy; and
> Sign and seal the Dog Incident Policy.
8.2.10 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Revoke the Body Worn Camera Policy No. 109, dated 1 September 2020;
> Revoke the CCTV Surveillance Cameras Policy No. 093 dated 9 November 2021;
> Acknowledge the submissions received as part of the exhibition of the draft Surveillance Technology Policy;
> Adopt the Surveillance Technology Policy;
> Sign and seal the Surveillance Technology Policy; and
> Note the transitional period of one year from the date of adoption for Council to onboard existing surveillance activities to the new Policy standard.
8.2.11 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Revoke the Risk Management Policy No. 054 V5;
> Adopt the Risk Management Policy No. 054 V6;
> Revoke the Governance and Risk Framework V2;
> Adopt the Governance and Risk Framework V3; and
> Sign and seal the Risk Management Policy No. 054 V6 and Governance and Risk Framework V3.
8.2.12 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Receive and note the unconfirmed minutes of the Audit and Risk Committee meeting No. M (2025/26-5) held on 15 May 2026.
8.2.13 Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Set the Independent Audit and Risk Committee Member remuneration from 1 July 2026 at:
> a. $815 per meeting for the Chair;
> b. $680 per meeting for Independent Members;
> Undertake annual increases from 1 July each year equivalent to the Essential Services Rate Cap for that financial year rounding up to the nearest five-dollar increment, as per the Audit and Risk Committee Charter;
> Acknowledge an upper limit for reimbursement of travel expenses at $325 per member, per year, with no annual indexation applying to this allowance, as per the Audit and Risk Committee Charter; and
> Implement a review of the Audit and Risk Committee remuneration and entitlements in three years.
9. Unanimously carried the recommendation to:
> Receive the summary of informal meetings of Councillors for May and June 2026.
13. Unanimously carried the motion to:
> Received a petition for Alpine Shire Council to review its current approach to childcare service in the shire
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