Victoria’s ‘worst’ boat ramp gains $400K for a makeover

The Lady Bay ramp at Warrnambool will receive $420,000 to “start planning and design work to upgrade the boat launching facility”.

“The funding will be used by Warrnambool City Council to prepare the business case, detailed design, planning and approvals for an upgraded Warrnambool boat ramp,” a statement from Victorian Fishing and Boating Minister Jaala Pulford said.

The ramp was named the state’s worst in March based on feedback to an RACV survey of Victoria’s boat ramps.

The funding will “play a key role in assisting with the development of a much-needed upgrade”, a statement announcing the upgrade said.

The Lady Bay ramp is subject to tidal surges, and its slippery surface has claimed a number of cars that have misjudged launching boats.

It was voted the state’s worst in RACV Marine’s Rate Your Ramp survey.

Users surveyed said the Warrnambool ramp needed more car parking and trailer parking, especially at peak times, with three out of every four users rating the ramp’s surface as “extremely poor”.

The Andrews Labor government was swept back into power in November last year after wooing the fishing vote, promising that it would make boat ownership cheaper by removing launching and parking fees, and improving facilities at boat ramps. It has even named the state's former agriculture minister, Jaala Pulford, as its Fishing and Boating Minister.

It has pledged to spend more than $34 million, with $300,000 going towards a fish cleaning table construction blitz around Port Phillip Bay and Corio Bay over the next two years. The funding will come from boat registration and licence fees.

Better Boating Victoria is now working to have all fees removed from the state's public car parks and launching ramps by spring.

The government will also soon launch a $1 million review into the management of boating infrastructure in Port Phillip Bay and Western Port.

Meanwhile, a rogue seal hanging around a boat ramp at nearby Port Fairy has been destroyed by Parks Victoria.

The seal recently attacked a woman walking her dog near the boat ramp, severely injuring her leg.

Warrnambool Shire Council has considered a request from the port's management group to remove fish-cleaning tables from the boat ramp, believed to be behind what attracted the seal to stay in the area.