From the President's Desk
Welcome all to the official web site of the Bright and District Chamber of Commerce. Bright and the surrounding towns has been a vibrant and growing town for many years, steeped in history and tradition, rich in its diversity coupled with an ever changing and increasingly sophisticated attitude. The Chamber encompasses a vast range of business and community interests and is involved with many issues which involve the concerns of its members and the Bright and Districts business community as a whole.
The Chamber is a business forum that provides the leadership and empowerment to encourage and facilitate opportunities that benefit the business community.
The Bright and District Chamber of Commerce welcomes all business operators in the area as members. The more businesses that are represented in our membership the greater our advocacy weight with both local and state government bodies. Our networking base allows members to interact on both a business and personal level, also to participate in Chamber sponsored activities and events.
We hope this website helps us to get closer to our local business community. This web site showcases the activities, achievements and people making up the Bright and District Chamber of Commerce. I invite you to familiarise yourself with the Chamber’s site so as to discover how the Chamber can be of benefit and relevance to you and your business.
The Alpine Shire is made up of a number of townships located in North Eastern Victoria, Australia.
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Bright is one of three major activity centres in the Alpine Shire. The others are Myrtleford, also located in the Ovens Valley, and Mt Beauty, situated in the Kiewa Valley. Bright is the administrative headquarters of the Shire.
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The district towns of Porepunkah, Wandiligong and Harrietville are included as part of this overview of the Bright district and provide many unique products and services.
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Bright is situated on the Great Alpine Road and is less than 4 hours from Melbourne and 7 hours from Sydney via the Hume Freeway. There are also rail and bus connections from Sydney and Melbourne via Wangaratta.
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Access to air services including links to the domestic and international airline routes is available through Albury Airport – www.flyalbury.com.au approximately 1 ¼ hours from Bright by road.
Famous for its spectacular scenery, an abundance of adventure activities and a warm welcome Bright and Districts is the ideal destination for families, groups and those just seeking a quiet break away. A vibrant restaurant culture and great speciality shops provides the ideal atmosphere for those seeking to kick back and relax. Throughout the year its ever-changing scenery will delight you.
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Bright has four distinct seasons each of which hold attractions for both residents and visitors. Living in Bright offers unparalleled lifestyle opportunities.
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Most sports are catered for with facilities for golf, tennis, bowls, croquet, cricket and football within the town.
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The surrounding easily accessible alpine areas provide opportunities for winter snow sports, mountain biking, fishing, horse riding, bush walking, and other adventure sporting experiences.
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There are well developed facilities for hang-gliding, para-gliding and ultralight aircraft operations
Bright has excellent emergency services infrastructure including a medical centre, ambulance station, and hospital, as well as active Country Fire Authority and State Emergency Services organisations.There is also a wide range of service and special interest organisations serving the community and providing opportunities for personal involvement.
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Bright is predominantly a tourism oriented town, with over 80% of business income being derived from accommodation, cafes, restaurants and associated services.
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These sectors, with retail, account for about 40% of local employment.
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Agriculture, horticulture and viticulture are growing contributors to the local economy. There is a skilled workforce available to undertake the seasonal tasks associated with these industries.
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There are extensive plantation timber tracts in the Ovens Valley which present some local employment opportunities both in the plantations and at the processing facility in Myrtleford.
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Further information on business activity and opportunity is available from the Economic Development team at the Alpine Shire – www.alpineshire.vic.gov.au.
Primary Schools are located in the surrounding townships of Harrietville, Porepunkah and Wandiligong. Bright has a P12 college which provides Government education from preparatory to year 12. Private secondary education facilities are available in Myrtleford.