Work is underway on the second stage of a $4.5 million upgrade at the Queenscliff boat ramp, making it easier for boaters to access Port Phillip Bay or venture out to the Bass Strait.
The priority project is part of the state government’s $47.2 million investment to improve recreational boating for all Victorians, with Better Boating Victoria (BBV) delivering a program of works statewide.
The project’s second stage is being managed by the Borough of Queenscliffe, with crews on site this week to begin works. Construction is expected to be complete mid-year and, while crews are on-site, the boat ramp will be closed.
Stage one works were completed in late 2021, replacing overflow parking with a formal parking area housing 33 parks big enough for a car and trailer, adding dedicated boat preparation areas and dredging work to improve access at all tides.
The project’s second round of improvements will centre on works at the boat ramp itself. The existing two-lane ramp will be widened and resurfaced, with a third lane built to offer a trio of 4m-wide lanes with a grooved surface providing more traction.
A new floating pontoon will be installed in the centre of the ramps, and the existing floating pontoons on either side of the ramp will be replaced with longer structures to allow more boats to be temporarily tied up.
The outer pontoons will be spaced further apart to create more berthing space and feature better walkway access for boaters once they’ve parked their trailer.
