Alpine Shire Council is seeking suitably qualified consultants to deliver a comprehensive strategic planning, risk assessment, and future adaptation framework for Dinner Plain.

The project will be delivered in three distinct but interrelated parts:

• Part A: Issues and Opportunities Analysis, Risk and Adaptation Strategy (including planning and governance reform)

• Part B: Master Planning for Dinner Plain (triggered by Part A outcomes)

• Part C: Visitor Economy Impact Assessment (to align tourism infrastructure with climate, risk and governance findings)

Please note:

Council intends to proceed with Part A: Issues and Opportunities, Adaptation, and Risk Management Framework at this stage.

Progression to Part B: Master Planning of Dinner Plain and Part C: Visitor Economy Impact Assessment will be subject to the findings and outcomes of Part A.

Council is proposing a stepped approach to work through this project as follows:

Part A:

Preparation of an issue and options paper to clearly document the range of issues that require decisions and management.

Preparation of a Future Directions and Adaptation Strategy that includes:

• Development of a fit for purpose adaptation framework to assess and select the preferred adaptation strategies for Dinner Plain. This may be based on work that has already been undertaken for Alpine Resorts Victoria or the National Emergency Management Agency. It is also important to identify the baseline level of bushfire management required for each option and the minimum ecological impacts from each before proceeding.

• Identification Council’s level of comfort with risk at Dinner Plain, considering the options that are available (considering Council’s risk management framework, and input from the State Government if available).

• Identifying the limits for relevant referral authorities regarding ecological impacts and bushfire risk.

• Articulation of the future directions for Dinner Plain looking at a 10 to 50 year horizon and considering risk, settlement strategy, preferred governance model and funding sources.

• Development of an adaptation strategy that details the actions that need to be taken to achieve the preferred future state identified and proactively manage the risks presented by natural hazards, protect environmental values, and support an economically sustainable settlement.

Part B:

Review and update the Masterplan for Dinner Plain, taking into account the findings of Part A. The 2015 Masterplan will be an input into this, however, is expected to substantially change based on the bushfire management and vegetation protections issues that need to be taken into consideration. The Masterplan will be a document that underpins the range of activities that need to be undertaken to address the issues identified including future investment in infrastructure and areas where vegetation and roads may need to be managed differently to address risks (these are outlined in the Practical Ecology work).

It is not intended to be a regulatory document but will directly inform the preparation of revised planning controls and should identify at a high level the planning interventions that should be considered (for example, the ability to limit dwellings per lot, broad locations of vegetation protections etc). It is anticipated that a simple version of the Masterplan map for Dinner Plain will eventually be incorporated into the planning scheme.

Part C:

Prepare a Visitor Economy Impact Assessment to align tourism infrastructure for both the green and winter season with the climate, risk, vegetation and governance findings of Part A. This should identify opportunities for appropriate tour