In 2025, Councillors adopted our Community Vision and the Council Plan 2025–2029, along with a detailed Action Plan. These documents set the roadmap for where we’re headed, and they play a key role in shaping our annual budget.

They weren’t created in isolation. Each was developed through extensive community consultation, ensuring that the priorities and aspirations of our residents are at the heart of our future planning. From big-picture goals to practical actions, these plans guide how we invest in services, infrastructure, and projects that matter most.

Your contribution towards the development of our draft Budget will help us to align day-to-day decisions with this long-term vision, keeping us on track to deliver what the community told us is important.

Councillors are committed to ensuring Alpine Shire remains financially strong - not just for today, but for the years ahead.

To achieve this, Councillors have directed our CEO to identify $1.5 million in ongoing annual savings for the 2026/27 financial year compared to the Financial Plan 2025–2035.

This can be viewed in the online recording of the October Ordinary Council Meeting at approximately two hours into the meeting.

Why is this important? Rising costs for wages, fuel, utilities, and insurance, combined with rate capping, mean we need to find smarter ways to operate.

These savings will help us maintain essential services, fund priority projects, and protect our region’s financial health into the future.

The savings will come from:

• Reducing employee costs through efficiencies and smarter resourcing
• Cutting materials and services expenditure without compromising quality
• Other measures determined by our CEO to streamline operations

This is a significant step toward creating a leaner, more sustainable organisation - one that can continue delivering for the community while planning responsibly for the long term.

We have just recently gone through an extensive engagement process with our communities to prepare our Council Plan 2025-2029 and Action Plan 2025-2029.

Select this link to see our engagement from July 2024 through to adoption in September 2025.

As well as our Council Plan 2025-2029 and Action Plan 2025-2029, Councillors adopted our Asset Plan 2025-2035 in October.

Our Annual Budgets from 2025 through to 2029 will align with these three strategic documents.

We currently manage an annual budget of approximately $39 million, but the reality is that most of this funding is already committed to keeping Alpine Shire running smoothly.

The bulk of our budget supports the everyday services you rely on, such as:

• Upkeep of 574 kilometres of sealed and gravel roads
• Waste collection and operation of transfer stations
• Maintaining parks, gardens, and open spaces
• Libraries, swimming pools, and community facilities
• Maternal and child health programs
• Planning and building services
• Emergency management and preparedness

These essential services come with rising costs each year - fuel, utilities, insurance, and wages all increase - while rate capping limits how much revenue we can generate.

After covering these core responsibilities, we have approximately $1 million we can allocate to new projects, upgrades, and community priorities.

Every budget tells a story about priorities and we want yours to be part of that story. While most of our funds are tied to essential services, there’s still room to make choices.

Your input helps us:

• Shape what gets done first: When resources are limited, knowing what matters most to you guides our decisions.
• Plan for the future, not just today: Your feedback influences long-term strategies and investment in community infrastructure.
• Spot opportunities we might miss: Local knowledge often highlights needs or ideas that aren’t on our radar.
• Build a stronger partnership: Understanding your priorities helps us work together to make the best use of every dollar.

Your voice doesn’t just influence this year’s budget - it helps set the direction for years to come.