RYE BOAT RAMP HAS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED

30 November 2018

On Friday 30 November 2018, Mornington Peninsula Shire Mayor Councillor David Gill and Nepean Ward Councillor Hugh Fraser joined key stakeholders and the community to officially celebrate the completion of the $1.23 million upgrade to the Rye Boat Ramp.

The Shire was joined by Marcus Higgins (Senior from Transport for Victoria), Steve Walker (CEO Boating Industry Association Victoria – Peak Boating Body), and representatives from the Marine Industry, Rye Lions Club, Safety Beach Coastguard and Simpson Construction Company.

The Shire committed $648,000 towards the project in its 2016/17 financial budget, in addition to funding from Transport for Victoria’s Boating Safety and Facilities Program of $588,000.

Mayor Gill said this collaborative project has directly addressed a significant gap in the facility.

“Thanks to this significant upgrade, peak wait times for boat launching and retrieval has been reduced from 51 minutes to about 16 minutes.

“The Rye Boat Ramp upgrade, represents an additional investment by the Shire in support of boating, fishing and diving activity.

“On top of spending $250,000 on boat ramp maintenance annually, the Shire is proud to have contributed further funds towards this important project.

 “The announcement of Labor’s ‘Better Boating Fund’ has now signaled a fairer and more sustainable policy for the boating community with all funds raised from boating registration and licensing going back directly into boating and fishing.

“This commitment will hopefully see the end of the current confused, bureaucratic and inefficient system of funding boat ramps and piers that has wasted resources and been inadequately funded for years leaving Local Government and their ratepayers funding much needed boating facilities.

“We look forward to working collaboratively with the state government to have this commitment come to fruition”.

Councillor Fraser said it was a great privilege to officially open the Rye Boat Ramp.

“A lot of hard work has gone in to the preparation and planning of this project in time for the busy summer season and we’re all very excited to celebrate the opening.

“The extra boat ramp and renewal of the existing boat ramps was much needed and will make a positive difference to the boating community. It will ultimately make the area safer for its users and making it easier, quicker and safer to get all watercraft in and out of the water”.

This new and improved facility will provide the Rye community with a facility to be proud of. Works included:

  • Demolition of the existing boat ramp

  • Construction of a new boat ramp, increasing from three lanes to four lanes

  • A new jetty in addition to the existing jetty

  • Realigning the reversing lanes and adding a fourth lane to match the four lanes on the ramp

  • Dredging the sea floor to accommodate the extra lane and jetty

  • Rock beaching to protect the ramp from erosion.

Communications