The Allan Labor Government is making it easier and more accessible for boaters across the Bellarine to enjoy a day out on the water, with works to upgrade popular St Leonard’s boat ramp now underway.

Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant announced construction will begin tomorrow on the project which has been made possible thanks to the Labor Government’s Better Boating Fund.

The project will upgrade the jetty and create better all-abilities access and wave screens to provide boaters with more protection when launching and retrieving vessels, funded through the reinvestment of recreational boating registration and licence fees.

Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Better Boating Victoria division, along with ramp manager Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management and maritime engineers have consulted extensively with local boaters and community members to progress designs for the project since 2022.

The first step for construction crews from Bridgewater Marine will be to remove the jetty and prepare new wooden piles. The piles will provide support upon which the 65-metre-long jetty will be rebuilt, complete with a non-slip reinforced surface.

The new jetty’s end T-section will be lengthened, providing more space for boats to be tied up and additional protection for boats being launched or retrieved.

Wave baffles will also be installed along the T-section and the main jetty to provide more protection from waves driven by northerly and easterly winds. Additional lower landings will also be built on the T-section to provide better access to a range of different-sized craft.

To make a day out on the water accessible for everyone, all-abilities access to the lower landings will be incorporated through an accessible gangway and provisions for a hoist to lift people with limited mobility into and out of boats.

Additional fenders and cleats will provide more options for boaters tying up on their way out or back into the ramp, complementing better access to the lower landings.

The project will be completed in time for summer. While construction crews are on-site over the coming months, the ramp will be closed.

Among the nearby places to launch small boats are Indented Head and Swan Bay, while bigger vessels will be better suited to Queenscliff and Point Richards boat ramps, both of which have already been upgraded by the Labor Government in recent years.

Boaters can also use the free Boating Vic smartphone app https://www.boating.vic.gov.au/home to view other nearby ramps as well as local weather, wind and tide conditions before they leave home.

Quotes attributable to Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant

“We’re delivering a significant upgrade to the boat ramp here at St Leonards, which is one of the most popular fishing and boating destinations on the Bellarine Peninsula.”

“The new jetty will feature more protection for boaters, better access for everyone and make it easier to enjoy a day out on the water with loved ones.”