Improving the boating experience for all Victorians includes having well maintained – and reliable access to – public boating facilities. That’s why we’ve invested from the $32m Better Boating Fund into the 2022-23 Recreational Boating Structural Maintenance Program (RBSMP).
The RBSMP has allocated grant funding to eligible organisations for structural maintenance projects to ensure that our Victorian public boating facilities continue to remain accessible and safe for the purposes of boat launching and retrieval.
Applications have now closed. Successful applicants are listed below.
Eligible organisations to apply for funding included committees of management and local waterway authorities as well as local and state government departments and agencies.
A Funding Advisory Panel consisting of cross agency groups and industry stakeholders assessed the grant applications received against the funding assessment criteria.
The panel provided input into grant allocation decisions that were then recommended to the Minister for Outdoor Recreation.
All up, 27 projects received funding to enable repairs at boating facilities from Mallacoota in the state’s east to Nelson in the far south-west.
| Structural Maintenance Grants 2022-23 | ||
| Recipient | Project | Grant ($) |
| Bass Coast Shire Council | Rhyll Boat Ramp Safety Upgrades | $69,200.00 |
| Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management | Indented Heads Ramp – replace decking, capping and walers | $55,690.00 |
| Bellarine Bayside Foreshore Committee of Management | Refurbish jetty ladders | $18,375.00 |
| Campaspe Shire Council | Victoria Park Boat Ramp (VPBR) Upgrade Project – Stage 5 – Upstream Retaining Wall | $173,800.00 |
| Crib Point Stony Point Foreshore Committee of Managment Inc | Stony Point Parking Improvement | $75,000.00 |
| East Gippsland Shire Council | Bastion Point Geotactile Groin Wall | $167,000.00 |
| Gippsland Ports | Inverloch Jetty public lighting upgrade | $42,740.00 |
| Gippsland Ports | Karbeethong Jetty low landing upgrade | $97,000.00 |
| Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority (CMA) | Sandy Waterholes Boat Launch Upgrade. | $106,000.00 |
| Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority (CMA) | Fitzroy River Estuary Boat Launch. | $103,000.00 |
| Goulburn Murray Water Rural Water Corporation | Cairn Curran Picnic Point Boat Ramp Upgrade | $112,715.00 |
| Goulburn Murray Water Rural Water Corporation | Lake Eildon Boat Ramp Maintenance Works | $11,310.00 |
| GWM Water | Maintaining Taylors Lake boat launching facilities | $40,200.00 |
| Hindmarsh Shire Council | Dimboola Ski Club Pontoon Jetty | $75,400.00 |
| Lake Cartcarrong Committee of Management | Structural Improvement to Lake Cartcarrong Jetty Pylons | $3,270.00 |
| Mornington Peninsula Shire Council | Hastings Boat Ramp Northern Pontoon Renewal | $271,054.50 |
| Moyne Shire Council | Port Fairy Jetty Upgrades | $50,000.00 |
| Nelson Public Reserves Committee of Management | lnstallwheel stops at end of boat ramps | $6,350.00 |
| Walkerville Foreshore Committee | Walkerville North Boat Ramp Maintenance | $36,624.50 |
| Wellington Shire Council | Seagull Drive Boat Ramp Repair and Protection | $17,800.00 |
| Wellington Shire Council | The Boulevard Boat Ramp Repair and Protection | $17,800.00 |
| West Wimmera Shire Council | WWSC Lake Wallace Boat Ramp Extension | $24,999.00 |
| Whitecliffs to Camerons Bight Foreshore Reserve CoM | Camerons Bight Jetty Repair Works | $15,000.00 |
| Wyndham City Council | Werribee South Boat Ramp maintenance, safety and access enhancement project | $24,000.00 |
| Lake Purrumbete Foreshore Committee of Management | Design of replacement ramp at Lake Purrumbete | $120,000.00 |
| East Gippsland Shire Council | All abilities gangway at North Arm Lakes Entrance | $118,000.00 |
| Moyne Shire | Design for Jetty Replacement Curdievale boat ramp | $50,000.00 |
What Is the Recreational Boating Structural Maintenance Program?
The Recreational Boating Structural Maintenance Program (RBSMP) allocates up to $2 million in grant funding to eligible organisations to undertake structural maintenance and asset replacement activities at publicly accessible Victorian boating facilities.
Who can apply for grant funding from the program?
Eligible organisations include local government, State government departments and agencies, committees of management and local waterway authorities.
How much funding will be made available in grants?
Up to $2 million (ex GST) is available through a competitive grant funding round for the RBSMP. The grant amount awarded will not exceed $300,000 (ex GST) in total per project. Multiple applications received from an eligible organisation will be considered.
How are applications assessed through a competitive grant funding round?
A Funding Advisory Panel consisting of cross agency groups and industry stakeholders will assess the grant applications received against the funding assessment criteria. The panel provides input into grant allocation decisions that are then recommended to the Minister for Outdoor Recreation.
Is a co-contribution required?
Whilst a co-contribution will be considered favourably, 100% of grant funding will also be made available. Funding contributions from the applicant can include project management, committed funds from other government agencies or sources and in-kind contributions which can be substantiated.
How can industry stakeholders and the boating public be guaranteed that they are getting the best value for money from the allocated grants?
Grants are awarded to applicants who can demonstrate there is a need for the funding and that they have tested the market for quality and price. It is also important that the applicant has shown they have met appropriate project and program planning criteria when applying for funding.
What is Better Boating Victoria’s (BBV) role in administering the RBSMP?
BBV is a branch of the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) and is experienced in managing grant funding programs. The Minister for Outdoor Recreation is responsible for approving all funding allocations from the RBSMP.
When do grant applications open and when will announcements be made?
Grant applications opened on 15 February 2023 for the RBSMP and closed on 16 March, 2023.
Isn’t maintenance supposed to be the responsibility of the facility manager in charge of the boat ramp?
Regular maintenance and the replacement of assets can be costly for boating facility managers who do not receive direct funding support to undertake these activities. There is a reasonable expectation by boaters that pay vessel registration and licence fees that public boating facilities are safe and reliable for the purposes of boat launching and retrieval.
What about committees of management who currently receive funding from the Victorian Government through the Free Boat Launching and Parking initiative?
Approximately 22 Committees of Management across the State receive funding in lieu of charging fees to boaters. This funding is for the purposes of maintaining boating facilities. Consideration of whether the applicant is currently in receipt of existing boating funding revenue sources, such as this initiative, will be undertaken through the assessment of the grant application by the Funding Advisory Panel.
What about boating facilities that have been impacted by flooding or other natural disasters?
The funding guidelines provide assurance that asset managers who have boating facilities which need repair or maintenance due to natural disasters will be given priority consideration for the grants program.
We’re committed to improving the boating experience across Victoria.
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