ALPINE PLANNING SCHEME 21.01 ALPINE SHIRE PROFILE 20/01/2011 C15 21.01-1 Location and Context 20/01/2011 C15 The Alpine Shire is one of Australia’s most outstanding areas. Located in the north east region of Victoria, the Shire is rich in environmental assets and spectacular scenery, is the destination of more than one million visitors annually, and provides exceptional lifestyle opportunities and recreational facilities. Approximately ninety two per cent of the shire’s 4,839 square kilometres is mountainous, forested public land comprising significant sections of the Alpine National Park, the whole of the Mount Buffalo National Park, State forests and Crown land. Although not part of the municipal district, the two Alpine Resorts of Falls Creek and Mount Hotham are also located within the Shire boundaries. The Alpine Shire is located approximately 300km north east of Melbourne and 70km south of Albury/Wodonga, and adjoins the municipalities of: Indigo Shire to the north; Towong Shire to the north east; Rural City of Wangaratta to the west; Wellington Shire to the south; and East Gippsland to the south east. 21.01-2 Municipal Overview 20/01/2011 C15 21.01-2-1 People, Settlement, Infrastructure and Services 20/01/2011 C15 People and Settlement The main towns in the Alpine Shire are Bright, Mount Beauty/Tawonga South and Myrtleford. The Shire’s villages include Bogong, Dederang, Dinner Plain, Harrietville, Porepunkah, Tawonga and Wandiligong, and smaller communities exist in the rural districts of the Shire. The resident population of the Shire in 2006 was 12001 with the major population clusters around the three largest towns of Bright, Mount Beauty/Tawonga South and Myrtleford. The Ovens Valley area (Bright, Myrtleford, Dinner Plain, Harrietville, Porepunkah and Wandiligong) is home to approximately seventy per cent of the Shire’s population, with thirty per cent residing in the Kiewa Valley area (Mount Beauty/Tawonga South, Bogong, Dederang and Tawonga). Based on existing trends in population growth patterns, it is likely that the most significant population growth will occur in and around Bright and Porepunkah. Township Population Estimates Number (people) Years Source: Alpine Shire 2005 Residential Land Review, p.6 MUNICIPAL STRATEGIC STATEMENT - CLAUSE 21.01 PAGE 1 OF 4 ALPINE PLANNING SCHEME The Alpine Shire 2005 Residential Land Review estimates that if the population grows by at least 1.5% per year, the Shire will have a population of approximately 15,280 by 2021, and nearly 20,000 by 2030. Due to the high levels of absentee house and land ownership in the Alpine Shire, the rate of population growth is not generally an accurate indicator of future growth needs of the Shire. The Alpine Shire 2005 Residential Land Review indicates that the principal focus to determine future growth needs is a realistic projection of dwelling demand. The number of new dwellings approved in the Shire has increased significantly with 806 approvals between 1996 and 2004. It is expected that there will be at least 1,200 new houses constructed in the next ten years, and a further 3,000 constructed by 2030, bringing the total number of dwellings in the Shire close to 10,000 by 2030. The average household size in the Alpine Shire has declined from 3.09 persons per dwelling in 1981, to 2.37 in 2006, just below the national average of 2.61. It is predicted that the Shire’s average household size will continue to decline. There is a distinct trend towards an increasing aged population in the Alpine Shire with an increase in the percentage of people in the 55 plus age groups. In 2006 the proportion of people aged over 55 years in the Alpine Shire was 33.7 percent; this is above the 25 percent average for Victoria. The Community Profile for the Alpine Shire, February 2008, estimates that by 2031, there will be an increase in residents aged 55 plus and a large drop in the number aged less than 54. The Shire’s changing age structure will have implications for planning in the next thirty years, in particular the provision of infrastructure and services to meet the needs of an ageing population. Infrastructure and Services Regionally the Shire is well serviced through major transport connections including the Great Alpine Road – from Wangaratta to Omeo via Mount Hotham, and the Kiewa Valley Highway, and an upgraded Bogong High Plains Road – from Wodonga to Gippsland via Falls Creek. The Shire is connected to Melbourne and Sydney via a major road network which includes the Hume Highway which is only 35 minutes drive from Myrtleford. Rail links to both Melbourne and Sydney are also available from Albury-Wodonga and Wangaratta and there are a range of options for air travel to and from the Alpine Shire including Australia’s highest altitude commercial airport only 10 minutes from Dinner Plain. The Mount Beauty airfield can accommodate most twin engine aircraft and this is supported by a small airfield at Porepunkah. Albury-Wodonga Airport offers regional commuter services to all major cities in Australia with bus links to Wangaratta and Bright. Locally, a network of good quality, sealed roads link the three main towns in the Alpine Shire, with most residents residing within 20 minutes of township services. Major infrastructure within the Shire that benefits the North East Region and beyond includes: the Kiewa hydro power generation scheme – including Mount McKay, Clover, West Kiewa and Bogong power stations supplying the national grid; Lake Buffalo – water supply for irrigation and domestic supply; and the Dargo High Plains Road – from Mount Hotham to Gippsland. The Shire is well serviced with recreational infrastructure including tennis, swimming, football, bowls and cricket. There are three 18 hole golf courses located at Bright, Mount Beauty and Myrtleford, and a 9 hole course at Dederang. There are high quality educational facilities within the Shire including excellent primary and secondary schools. The Goulburn Ovens TAFE operates a training service from Bright and a range of Adult Education programs are also provided in Mount Beauty. TAFE and university campuses are located nearby including Wodonga Institute of TAFE, Goulburn- Ovens TAFE (Wangaratta), Latrobe University (Wodonga & Beechworth), and Charles Sturt University (Albury). MUNICIPAL STRATEGIC STATEMENT - CLAUSE 21.01 PAGE 2 OF 4 ALPINE PLANNING SCHEME 21.01-2-2 Natural Resources and Environment 20/01/2011 C15 The natural resources and environment of the Alpine Shire are its key assets and are significant to the region. The headwaters of many of Victoria’s major rivers are located in the Alpine Shire and this stresses the importance of catchments and their management. Most of the municipality is located in the North East Catchment; this includes the Buckland, Buffalo, Kiewa Ovens and Victoria rivers, with the southern part of the Shire located in the East Gippsland Catchment (Dargo, Humffrey, Wongungarra and Wonnangatta rivers). A significant proportion of the Shire is also within Special Water Supply Catchment areas which are protected under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. These catchment areas have significant values as a source of water for urban water supplies, and domestic and stock use. A large percentage (approximately 92%) of the Shire is public land and accordingly has high conservation significance. The Bogong Unit of the Alpine National Park for example supports a wide variety of flora and fauna with about “one third of Victoria’s native flora species and over half the States land bird species and 40% of the mammal species" (Alpine National Park – Bogong Unit Management Plan, 1992). There are a number of rare, vulnerable and endangered species identified in the Shire the most notable being the Mountain Pygmy Possum. The Alpine National Park is Victoria’s largest and forms a link with Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales and Namadgi National Park in the Australian Capital Territory. The Kiewa Valley is at the foot of the State’s highest peak, Mount Bogong, at 1986 metres above sea level, with many more peaks above 1800 metres. The Bogong and Dargo high plains are a significant feature of the Shire and the State. The Shire is rich in natural and built heritage assets. The landscapes within the Shire have been recognised as having unique appeal and have either been recorded or classified by the National Trust. The township of Wandiligong is unique in that much of its heritage has been left undisturbed since its establishment. There are other significant heritage assets in Bright, Mount Beauty and Myrtleford. These heritage assets are important to the Shire not only because of their historical cultural value but also as a generator of visitors to the region. Mining has been historically significant economic force within the Ovens Valley in particular. Dredging practices along the Ovens River have had adverse environmental effects. It is recognised that the sensitive development of mining could play an important role in the future growth and prosperity of the Shire. Due to the high percentage of public land in the Shire the future development of these mineral and stone resources is afforded a high level of protection. The freehold land that comprises the Buckland, Buffalo, Kiewa and Ovens river valleys is generally comprised of rich fertile soils suitable for agricultural purposes. These valleys are predominantly cleared of native vegetation although the steeper hills are still vegetated. Intensive dairying is carried out in the Kiewa Valley with tobacco growing on the lower slopes around Mount Beauty. In the Ovens Valley the land pattern is more intense with tobacco, livestock, and softwood timber production evident and an increasing trend towards vineyards. The Alpine Shire provides a variety of lifestyle advantages including a climate characterised by mild summers (average maximum 27oC) and cool, clear winters (average maximum 11oC) with fewer wet days, and fewer overcast days than Melbourne and Sydney.