The Victorian Boating Industry is calling for more “blue infrastructure” such as boat stackers and ramps, to cater for a doubling of population in Melbourne’s west by 2050.
Chief executive Steven Potts said the boating industry contributed $4.5 billion annually to the Victorian economy and employed 17,700 Victorians – adding western suburbs councils have an opportunity to capitalise on boating tourism.
“We firmly believe we need to look at a long-term plan for the entire bay but particularly for the councils where we can all work together to ensure there’s access, as the population doubles, for all users – bike paths, walking paths, through to boating access as well,” Mr Potts said.
“Werribee South is a beautiful boat ramp on the mouth of the Werribee River, so it’s a safe boat harbour; Wyndham Harbour is being built around the corner – what we’d like to see is more of those facilities … and how to implement them along the rest of the coast.”
Mr Potts said more parking infrastructure was needed for both boats and trailers.
“What we’re suggesting is to look at it from an event management style, about how we can use overflow carparking, how we can put trailers in other grassed areas that can be used for that short period and refitted later on,” he said.
“There are some proposals for some more boat-stacking facilities, so they’re in a big garage that can be three boats high. In a lot of cases they’re privately owned, so it can be a private partnership arrangement – there’s many different ways they can be funded.”
Hobsons Bay mayor Colleen Gates said the municipality was well served by two boat ramps at Altona and Newport and a number of sailing and marine clubs in Williamstown.
“However, all these facilities come at considerable cost to council and boating clubs, in terms of maintenance of this infrastructure and the increasing pressures, particularly on our boats ramps, as a result of the lack of facilities elsewhere along the north-western coastline of Port Phillip Bay,” she said.
“Council certainly would be very supportive of improved state government investment and support of our existing facilities and in new facilities in other municipalities along the north-western coastline.”
