ALPINE Shire Council has proposed $60,000 be allocated in the draft 2025/26 annual council budget to support the annual Bright Rod Run.
The amount was part of a wider discussions at last week's monthly council meeting around debrief results of last November's Bright Rod Run, in order to prepare for this year's event.
Councillors Gareth Graham and Deputy Mayor Peter Smith raised questions surrounding the proposed $60,000 allocated in the draft 2025/26 budget, which was assigned to support traffic management, risk mitigation, facility and waste management costs in the Bright CBD.
Alpine Shire Mayor, Councillor Sarah Nicholas also had questions, including what would happen if council didn't assist in the arrangement of the annual rod run event, organised by the Bright Rod and Kustom Club Inc.?
Council's director of corporate and community, Nathalie Cooke said it "is a difficult position".
"The reality is that 12,500 people descending into the surrounding area (in Bright) is quite significant for our shire," Ms Cooke said.
"It is considered the risk of council not managing the townships and having an unmanaged event is not a risk people like to take.
"The $60,000 goes towards traffic management, yes, but it also goes towards increased public-placed bin pick-ups, keeping the toilets clean and having the local law staff being paid over the weekend and potentially other council staff as well.
"We would have to really consider how we would manage that from a council perspective, if we were to make that decision [not to arrange these elements]."
Council noted the outcomes of the Bright Rod Run 2024 post-event debrief and the meeting saw council officers plan to adjust the management of the informal aspects of the 2025 event designated in the Bright CDB, as well as to improve traffic management, reduce risk and support emergency services access.
Councillors also approved the implementation of alcohol restrictions in Bright town centre and Pioneer Park from 10pm Thursday, 6 November 2025 to 7am Monday, 10
November 2025 under Clause 2.2.1 of the Alpine Shire Community Local Law 2019.