WAVE/SURGE - PROGRESS?

BIAV has long campaigned for wave/surge protection for the Williamstown waterfront. This affects many of our members across marinas, clubs, boat building, chandlery, maintenance, boat sales, service, and more. Whilst we aim for a long-term wave attenuation/wall type solution, we are pleased that the below Notice to Mariners has been released. We thank Ports Minister Melissa Horne, the Harbour Master, and STV for their current attention to this matter. This now caps speeds in the channel to 15kn. RYCV have lead a recent study that leads BIAV to believe that an 8kn limit is the desired outcome, and that the reduction to 15kn does not go far enough. At 8kn we can expect a greatly increased safety likelihood, and just a two-to-three-minute impact on the ferries.

The Notice includes …

Port users are advised that MV Geelong Flyer and MV Bellarine Express may operate at speeds up to 15 knots within the Williamstown Channel between Beacons 23/24 (Yarra River Entrance) and Beacon 17 (Breakwater) for inbound and outbound passages.

The ferries operate between Geelong, Portarlington, and Victoria Harbour with scheduled runs seven days a week. For more information on schedules, visit the Port Phillip Ferries website (http://www.portphillipferries.com.au/).

For further information, please contact the Navigation Services department at NavigationServices@ports.vic.gov.au.