Alpine Shire Council invites people living with disabilities and people with other lived experiences, such as carers, to contribute to the development of their Access and Inclusion Plan 2025-2028.
The Plan builds on Council's Access and Inclusion Plan 2021-2024 and will outline how Council will promote and support access and inclusion for people living in Alpine Shire, recognising that not every person has the same experience.
Engagement will include a digital survey available on Council's digital engagement platform, Engage Alpine, as well as drop-in sessions at libraries in Bright, Mount Beauty, and Myrtleford.
Individuals and groups will also be able to contact Council's Community Development team to share their experiences directly.
Alpine Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, said that engagement with people living with disabilities is crucial to developing this Plan in a way that will lead to change.
"We know that not all of our assets and services are accessible or inclusive for people living with disabilities across Alpine Shire," she said.
"Through this Plan, we want to make sure that we're working on making them as accessible and inclusive as we possibly can for the better of every person in Alpine Shire, including those living with disabilities."
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that, in 2024, 21.8% of people across Alpine Shire lived with one or more disabilities and 5.7% needed assistance with core activities in their lives.
The Plan will assess Council's assets and services to determine whether they are accessible and inclusive for people living with disabilities.
This assessment will include the physical accessibility of infrastructure, such as halls and buildings, as well as the capability of staff to support people living with disabilities in all customer-focused services.
The Plan will also focus on access and inclusion for current and future Council employees.
Cr Nicholas emphasised the diverse experiences of people living with disabilities.
"We know that disabilities come in all shapes and sizes across all genders and age groups, and may be visible, invisible, permanent, or temporary," she said.
"By telling us the challenges and difficulties that you face, you can make a real difference to the way you interact with our assets and services here in Alpine Shire."
A range of accessibility and inclusion audits will be undertaken throughout the life of this Plan to identify and determine the ongoing accessibility and inclusion requirements for people living with disabilities, carers of those living with disabilities, and those who face barriers in the workplace due to neurodivergence.
To contribute to the development of this Plan, community members are encouraged to visit Engage Alpine by visiting https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au/access-and-inclusion-plan
Drop-ins will take place at the following times, dates, and locations:
Bright Library
From 9.30am to 11.30am on Tuesday, 18 November 2025
14 Ireland Street, Bright
Mount Beauty Library
From 2pm to 4pm on Wednesday, 19 November 2025
61 Lakeside Ave, Mount Beauty
Myrtleford Library
From 10am to 12pm on Monday, 24 November 2025
20 O'Donnell Ave, Myrtleford
Submissions will close on Sunday, 30 November 2025.
There will be another opportunity for community engagement in early 2026.