Boat ramps in Portarlington and Ocean Grove will benefit from state government funding through the Better Boating Fund Structural Maintenance Grants Program.
Construction has started on the second and final stage of a $3.7 million upgrade to facilities at the Point Richards boat ramp.
Working closely with Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management across both stages, construction of a rock groyne to better protect the ramp from seagrass accumulation has begun.
The rock groyne is being built west of the boat ramp and the design features an excavator platform, so entrance channel dredging can be easily undertaken when required.
Detailed studies and modelling of coastal processes in the area have informed the groyne’s design, which aims to minimise the risk of impacts to the surrounding foreshore.
The four-lane boat ramp is located west of Portarlington and provides fishers, water skiers and sailors with access to Port Phillip and Corio Bay.
The first stage of the project was completed last year and saw an additional 50 car parks created to formalise overflow parking south of the ramp, including spaces large enough for a car and trailer. Dedicated boat preparation areas were also added.
Construction is expected to be complete later this year.
“This significant upgrade is going to make launching and retrieving vessels safer and more accessible for boaters wanting to get out on the water around the Bellarine Peninsula,” Minister for Fishing and Boating Melissa Horne said.
“We’re also undertaking major construction work at Queenscliff and have provided funding for a long-term dredging plan at Clifton Springs to ensure the peninsula is a go-to boating destination for years to come.”
The City of Greater Geelong will now be able to upgrade the damaged northern jetty at Ocean Grove boat ramp through $120,000 in funding.
