Alpine Shire Land Development Strategy 2024

Clause 11.02-1S of the Alpine Planning Scheme requires Council to plan to accommodate projected population growth over at least a 15-year period and to provide clear direction on locations where growth should occur.

To satisfy this requirement, Council has prepared the Alpine Shire Land Development Strategy (LDS) to show how growth will be accommodated in Alpine Shire up to 2041 and beyond.

Population growth and land use planning is influenced by broader population and economic trends as well as state government policy, including:

• The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic that saw a significant increase in demand for housing in regional areas as more of the population is able to work remotely. Alpine Shire has attracted new residents who are able to work remotely either part or full time.
• An ageing population with the proportion of people aged over 65 increasing. In Alpine Shire, the median age is 49, which is high compared to the Victorian average of 37, and retirees made up 16 percent of the population in 2021.
• Housing affordability, which is a significant state-wide issue, requires increasing housing choice to support diverse communities.
• An increasing tension between short-term and holiday accommodation and supply of long term private rental housing.
• Climate change, where global temperatures are rising and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe. This will result in increased fire danger, extreme heat days, drought, increased energy access variability and increased risk of flooding in Alpine Shire.
• The productive forestry and agriculture sectors, which are key industries in the Alpine Shire.
• Tourism is a significant and growing industry with Alpine Shire being the most visited municipality and having the highest visitor expenditure within North East Victoria.

The LDS:

• considers projected population growth, and future housing and employment needs in our major towns to 2041;
• identifies constraints to development e.g., flood prone land, bushfire risk, and infrastructure and servicing needs;
• identifies key trends that have shifted demand for housing;
• enables change that responds to the valued character and qualities that distinguish each of the municipality’s townships and settlements;
• focuses on the orderly development of urban land uses in the four Service Towns (Bright, Mount Beauty-Tawonga South, Myrtleford and Porepunkah), which will accommodate the majority of the municipality’s future growth;
• demonstrates to the Department of Transport and Planning how Alpine Shire will accommodate future housing and employment land consistent with community values;
• identifies the future role and function of the settlements to guide future decision-making for liveable places; and,
• provides the basis and scope for future structure or place planning in the four Service Towns to addresses neighbourhood character, encourage greater housing diversity and accommodate employment activities.

The LDS does not:

• provide detailed guidance on rural and rural residential land use or smaller settlement areas – this will be addressed via Alpine Shire Rural Directions Strategy;
• allow any areas to proceed immediately to rezoning for housing or employment uses; and,
• provide guidance on community services or open space.

Community engagement to date

From October 2022 to February 2023, Council undertook pre-draft community consultation to inform a draft Alpine Shire Land Development Strategy. 

From October to December 2023, Council undertook community consultation on the Draft Alpine Shire Land Development Strategy. This consultation resulted in 25 submissions.

Key findings of the adopted LDS

• Projects that Alpine Shire will grow to 15,890 people by 2041, an increase of around 2,734 people in the 20 years from 2021. It is expected that there will be a need for an additional 2,167 houses across the Shire to 2041 to accommodate this growth (75 per cent of this demand is expected to flow to urban settlements (1,625 dwellings) and 25 per cent to rural areas (542 dwellings));
• Establishes there is capacity for 1,266 (~77%) of the 1,625 homes needed by 2041 in areas already zoned for urban use (e.g., existing towns and settlements). Under the existing policy settings, there will be a shortfall of ~360 dwellings in existing settlements by 2041, with the largest housing demand projected in the Bright and Porepunkah townships;
• Identifies about 22,000m2 of additional commercial and industrial land in Service Towns by 2041 to accommodate future employment activity and attract new industry. This includes consideration for future growth in Myrtleford/Barwidgee to ensure there is some capacity for new industry or larger scale manufacturers in the future, and an expanded mixed-use area in Tawonga South; and,
• Provides updated framework plans for the four Service Towns of Bright, Mount Beauty-Tawonga South, Myrtleford and Porepunkah to show investigation areas that may be capable of accommodating the expected housing shortfall as well as opportunities to increase the amount of employment land across the municipality. The mapping identifies:
  • Land that could serve a future urban function subject to detailed investigation
  • Settlement boundaries within which urban development will be focused.

Other key findings include:

• Short term rental and vacant properties continue to put strain on long term housing outcomes for local residents;
• The Alpine Shire is significantly constrained by bushfire risk, flood prone land, topography and native vegetation considerations with 92% of the Shire being Crown land;
• The need to consider preferred neighbourhood character and landscape treatment in Alpine Shire;
• Servicing constraints including North East Water’s ability to provide potable water and wastewater treatment capacity, which will continue to limit urban development; and,
• Housing diversity, particularly the need to construct single- and two-bedroom houses, significantly limit housing availability. Current and next steps.

Next steps

The Alpine Shire Land Development Strategy 2024 was adopted at the Ordinary Council Meeting held on 27 August 2024.

Council will now prepare a planning scheme amendment to implement the high-level findings and recommendations of the LDS in the Alpine Planning Scheme.

This planning scheme amendment will need to be exhibited in accordance with the requirements of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 (Vic).

Any person may make a submission to the amendment during the associated exhibition period.

Any submissions received will be considered by Council and will be referred to an independent Planning Panel for consideration if they are unable to be resolved.

Council officers will continue to deliver the Strategic Planning Work Program to undertake technical assessments that will inform the future structure and place planning for the four Service Towns.