April flew by in a flurry of colour, activity and connection.

With school holidays, Easter and Anzac Day all falling in the same month, our towns have been full of life – and people! It’s no surprise that so many visitors choose to spend their Easter break in the Alpine Shire. Our region is simply stunning at this time of year, with the golden leaves and a real sense of seasonal magic.

I’d like to say a big thank you to the many community groups and volunteers who helped make April so memorable. From Easter markets to art shows and festivals, and everything in between, it takes a huge amount of work behind the scenes to deliver safe, welcoming and well-run events. Your efforts bring joy to locals and visitors alike – and your contribution doesn’t go unnoticed.

As we soak up the last of the autumn sunshine, Council is now turning its focus to planning for the year ahead – and the years beyond.

Right now, we have three important draft documents open for community feedback:

• Community Vision and Council Plan 2025–2029

• Annual Budget 2025/26

• Revenue and Rating Strategy 2025

These documents guide the work Council does and how it’s funded – and your input is vital. We want to make sure they reflect our shared priorities and support what matters most to you. You’ll find more information on each of these documents, including how to have your say and where we’ll be popping up across the Shire for face-to-face chats, in the newsletter below.

Thank you to everyone who continues to contribute your thoughts and ideas to help shape our future. It’s this spirit of participation and local pride that makes the Alpine Shire such a special place to live.

Warm regards,

Mayor Sarah Nicholas
Alpine Shire Council

Community Vision and Council Plan 2025-29

The draft Community Vision and Council Plan 2025-29, including the Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan 2025-29, is now open for community feedback.

After many months of conversations, surveys, workshops and ideas from across our Shire, it’s time to check out the draft Plans and let us know what you think.

We’re out and about in May – come and chat with us at a pop-up near you:

Bright Make It, Bake It, Grow It Market – Saturday, 17 May 2025, 9am – 12.30pm, Howitt Park, Bright

Dederang Pop-up – Sunday, 18 May 2025, 9.30am – 11.30am, The General Store, Dederang

Myrtleford Farmer's Market – Saturday, 24 May 2025, 8.30am – 12.30pm, Myrtleford Piazza

A big thank you to everyone who already stopped by our pop-ups in Mount Beauty, Freeburgh and Harrietville.

You can also have your say online. View the draft Plans and share your feedback at: Alpine's Vision Starts with You | Council Plan 2025-29 | Engage Alpine

Printed copies can be found at our Customer Service Centre in Bright, and our local libraries in Bright, Mount Beauty, and Myrtleford.

Submissions close at 5pm on Tuesday, 27 May 2025.

Draft Budget 2025/26

Our draft Budget 2025/26, including key initiatives and strategic priorities for the upcoming year, is now available for community feedback.

A highlight of the draft Budget is our $8M capital works program, including:

$2.5m for roads, supporting a program of works across our roads network

$1.6m for waste, including kerbside and public bins renewal, and landfill capping

$1.3m for property and buildings, supporting a program of design, upgrades, and construction

$1.1m for plant, machinery, and equipment

$1.9m for other infrastructure, including bridge renewal, additional and renewal of footpaths and cycleways, drainage renewal, and renewal of recreational parks and facilities

Your feedback is crucial to ensure the final budget reflects our community's needs and aspirations.

To read the draft and provide feedback, visit: 2025/26 Budget | Engage Alpine

Submissions close at 5pm on Tuesday, 27 May 2025.

Revenue and Rating Plan 2025

We're seeking your feedback on the draft Revenue and Rating Plan 2025, which outlines how we'll generate the revenue needed to support our community's needs over the next four years.

The draft plan includes minor changes, such as the inclusion of Dinner Plain in the commercial/industrial differential rate and the addition of the State Government's Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund.

Review the draft plan and share your thoughts by visiting: Revenue and Rating Plan 2025 | Engage Alpine

Printed copies of the draft Plan can also be viewed at Council's Customer Service Centre in Bright, and at our local libraries.

Submissions close at 5pm on Tuesday, 27 May 2025. The final plan will be considered for adoption at the June 2025 Ordinary Council Meeting.

Author Talk at Myrtleford Library

What’s better than one crime author? Two crime authors of course!

Join us at Myrtleford Library this Wednesday, 14 May at 10.30am for a delightful (or is that frightful?) chat about why crime pays for Shelley Burr and Amanda Hampson.

While both authors write in the crime genre, one sits firmly in the ‘thriller/suspense’ sub category and the other in the ‘cosy’ section.

This is a free event, but bookings are requested for venue set up. Book your place by calling Myrtleford Library on (03) 5751 1591.

Sleep and Settling Information Sessions

We all know the benefits of a good sleep and the detriments of a bad one!

Sleeping can be made all the harder when you've got young ones in the house who may be struggling with settling.

If this sounds like your household, we invite you to join our Maternal Child Health (MCH) team in our upcoming online sleep and settling information sessions.

There are two free sessions in May for parents of children aged 6-8 months and 18-24 months because we know there can be a big leap between these two age groups.

6-8 months

7pm - 8pm

Wednesday, 14 May 2025

18-24 months

7pm - 8pm

Wednesday, 21 May 2025

These sessions are all held online and are led by one of our experienced MCH Nurses to answer any questions that you may have about your specific situation.

Sessions are limited to ten people to ensure that each person can receive individualised support.

Find out more and register now by visiting: Sleep & Settling Sessions | Alpine Shire Council

Official Reopening of Ablett Pavilion

We’re excited to invite the community to the official reopening of the upgraded Ablett Pavilion in Myrtleford!

The Pavilion has had a major facelift – including a new first-floor extension, expanded balcony, upgraded bar, modernised kitchen, and stunning views of the oval and surrounding landscapes. Come see the transformation for yourself!

Thursday, 15 May 2025

From 5pm

Ablett Pavilion, McNamara Reserve, 35 Lewis Avenue, Myrtleford

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, everyone will be welcome to take a tour of the revamped space and enjoy light refreshments.

National Simultaneous Storytime

Join us at Bright Library for National Simultaneous Storytime on Wednesday, 21 May at 12pm.

National Simultaneous Storytime is an annual event held by the Australian Library and Information Association. In 2025, the chosen book for National Simultaneous Storytime is The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel, illustrated by Danny Snell.

This heartwarming story follows a truck-driving cat and his human as they navigate themes of immigration, identity, and the search for home.

Soft Plastics Recycling Tips

How full should you fill your orange bag? Bigger than an adult-sized basketball (or at least 1kg)!

You'd be surprised as to how much soft plastic you can fit into your bag – and you've got to make every millimetre count.

During the Local Soft Plastics Recycling Pilot program, there is a limit of two rolls of orange bags per household for this financial year. This is to ensure that everyone has access to the resources provided during the pilot.

The purpose of the orange bags is to make them easier to identify when they're being sorted and treated to make recycled plastic products, and to ensure that there are no loose plastics floating about that might jam up the equipment.

While the orange bags are made from recycled plastic, we also don't want unnecessary soft plastics contributing to our worldwide soft plastics problem. So when it comes to filling up your orange bags, make sure that you stuff everything in as much as you can.

Here are some tips to make sure your bags are as full as possible

Stuff your smaller soft plastics into bread bags – or other soft plastic bags – before placing them into your orange bag. This will help you to compact your soft plastics to fit as much as possible into your orange bags.

Cut up your bulky soft plastics, like your bubble wrap, potting mix bags, or pet food bags, into smaller pieces. Just make sure that they're clean first!

If you haven't registered – now's the time! You can register at the same time as picking up your orange bags, so head on over to our office at 2 Churchill Ave, Bright, or our libraries or Visitor Information Centres in Bright, Mount Beauty, or Myrtleford.

For more information about the Local Soft Plastics Recycling Pilot program, visit: Registration simplified for soft plastics recycling pilot | Alpine Shire Council