A trio of western Victorian waters is sharing in more than $1 million worth of boating upgrades, with contractors preparing to begin work on improvements at Rocklands Reservoir and Lakes Lonsdale and Toolondo.
Funded by the Andrews Labor Government’s $33 million Better Boating Fund, which reinvests boat registration and licence fees into projects that improve the boating experience, these works will enhance facilities at the three locations around Victoria’s iconic Grampians National Park.
Better Boating Victoria (BBV) has worked with ramp manager Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water to progress designs and approvals for the upgrades, which form part of the state’s biggest ever ramp construction program.
At Rocklands Reservoir, one of Victoria’s fastest growing recreational fishing spots, the Hynes boat ramp on the reservoir’s eastern banks will be concreted, lengthened and made steeper to provide access at a greater range of water levels. Access roads and formalised parking will also be added, enabling on-water access for trailer boats towed by two-wheel-drive vehicles.
As well as providing opportunities for water skiing and sailing, Rocklands is an increasingly popular freshwater fishery and was last year stocked with a record one million golden perch and Murray cod by the Victorian Fisheries Authority.
About 20 minutes north-west of Stawell at Lake Lonsdale, a second lane will be added to the northern boat ramp to boost capacity at busy times. The existing ramp is situated off Sandbar Road and is protected by a rock wall, providing boaters with shelter from south-west winds and associated wave action.
At Lake Toolondo, the south-west boat ramp will be replaced with a concrete surface and feature a steeper gradient to make launching easier at low water levels. A bigger, resurfaced car park will provide more space for cars and trailers and the upgrade will also enable launching by two-wheel-drive vehicles.
Grampians Excavation has been appointed to undertake construction and will begin work at Lake Lonsdale in coming days, before moving to Rocklands Reservoir and Lake Toolondo in October and November.
Minister for Fishing and Boating Sonya Kilkenny said “Western Victoria has no shortage of great options for boaters and these upgrades will mean a trip west opens up even more opportunities for people to enjoy a day on the water.”
“Better boating access at Rocklands will hopefully make it easier to wet a line and reel in one of the record number of fish stocked in recent years as part of our Go Fishing Victoria plan.”
Member for Western Victoria Jaala Pulford said “This boating boom in western Victoria is great news for not only locals, but also visitors thinking about their next holiday destination.”
