ALPINE Shire Council is seeking to offer future protection to one of Bright’s ‘natural wonders’.
Council has prepared an amendment to the Alpine Planning Scheme, seeking to apply the Heritage Overlay to the part of the avenue of trees comprising Pin Oak, Dutch Elm and Scarlet Oak along the Great Alpine Road at the western gateway to Bright on a permanent basis as an individually significant place.
The Heritage Overlay is a planning control that can be applied to land that has been determined to have heritage significance, and the avenue’s inclusion would help ensure that any new development will have minimal impact on the continued integrity and heritage significance of the avenue.
The proposed implementation of the Heritage Overlay follows the findings of a detailed heritage assessment prepared by GML Heritage Victoria Pty Ltd (GML), which recommends the inclusion of the avenue as an individually significant heritage place due to its historical, representative and social significance to the township of Bright and the wider Alpine Shire.
In July last year councillors resolved to adopt the detailed assessment, and to prepare and exhibit a planning scheme amendment to implement the findings of the detailed assessment to apply the Heritage Overlay to the avenue.
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Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, said that a planning permit was recently granted for the first two stages of the Bright Valley residential development to the south of the avenue.
“The permit allows for the removal of two mature trees and the relocation of three smaller trees from the avenue,” she said.
“Council officers believe the works do not harm the avenue of trees and that the Heritage Overlay should apply to this site.
“Applying the Heritage Overlay to the avenue won’t change the existing approval, but it will help ensure that any future development nearby respects the avenue’s integrity and heritage value,” she said.
People can view the amendment via council’s Engage Alpine website: https://engage.alpineshire.vic.gov.au;
Any person who may be affected by the amendment can make a submission to council up to 5pm Monday, 30 June - via email (info@alpineshire.vic.gov.au) or in writing to Alpine Shire Council, PO Box 139, Bright VIC 3741
