Boaters can now hit the water and find a park with ease with upgrades now complete at the Avalon boat ramp.
Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos today announced the $1.8 million upgrade will make launching and retrieving safer for boaters, with the upgraded funded through the reinvestment of boaters’ registration and licence fees.
With an extra 25 new car and trailer parks boosting the existing 11 parks, there’s now more room for local and visiting boaters at this popular spot.
A 15-metre extension to the jetty on the western side of the ramp will provide more space for boaters to tie up when parking trailers, while the eastern jetty has been rebuilt and extended by six metres.
The upgraded jetties feature wave baffles to reduce wave action and provide more protection for boaters at the ramp, making launching and retrieving easier. A new water collection area has been built separate to the ramp, so local aquaculture producers no longer need to occupy a lane while pumping water.
Avalon boat ramp provides access to productive fishing grounds in the commercial net-free Port Phillip and Corio Bay, including rocky reef modules installed by the Victorian Fisheries Authority in 2021.
The upgrade’s design was overseen by Better Boating Victoria, which is progressing the state’s biggest ever ramp construction program, while the City of Greater Geelong managed the construction carried out by experienced maritime contractors Bridgewater Marine.
BBV is also working with ramp managers to upgrade the nearby Limeburners Point and Kirk Point boat ramps, to further improve boating facilities in the growing Geelong region.
Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos said “The Better Boating Fund continues to deliver ramp upgrades like here at Avalon, so a day on the water is easier and more accessible for all Victorians.”
“This project will provide greater protection for boats at the ramp and much more parking, ensuring Avalon is another launching option for boaters from around Geelong and Melbourne’s growing west.”
Member for Lara Ella George said “This is great news for local boaters with a more user-friendly facility created here at Avalon.”
“A day fishing or cruising on Port Phillip or Corio Bay for residents on the northern side of Geelong has never been easier –thanks to the Allan Labor Government’s investment in the Avalon boat ramp.”
