A major upgrade of the Altona boat ramp has been quietly been shelved more than four years after it was announced.
In a statement to Star Weekly, Better Boating Victoria (BBV), a division of the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA), confirmed the Altona boat ramp upgrade had been identified as medium priority in the Victorian Recreational Boating Strategy 2021-2030.
“This assessment was made based on feedback from boaters that the site had capacity constraints during peak periods but was in good overall condition,” a BBV spokesperson said.
This is in stark contrast to BBV’s social media post announcing the Altona upgrade on January 13, 2021.
“Thanks to the government’s commitment to improving boating across Victoria, $100,000 has been provided to develop concept designs that will increase car and trailer parking and improve functionality and congestion at the Altona facility,” read a screenshot of the post seen by Star Weekly.
“We will be working closely with Hobsons Bay City Council, who will deliver the project.”
In February 2022, Hobsons Bay council announced the final concept designs had been completed, showing the upgrade remained a priority more than a year later.
But according to Seabrook resident Darren Ryan, Altona boat ramp users like him have been kept in the dark ever since.
“My major complaint is not that it hasn’t gone ahead, it’s that there’s been no communication,” Mr Ryan said.
He said an official told him the upgrade would cost more than the organisation’s entire annual budget, and that he and other recreational boaters should ask the state government to increase their registration fees from $80 to $15,000 per year, to pay for it.
BBV didn’t directly address the comments, but it’s understood the official has since apologised.
A council Hobsons Bay spokesperson said the Altona ramp was listed as in ‘detailed design phase’ in the Victorian Recreation Boating Strategy Action Plan 2024-2025, but council had received no updates since.
