Project update: 28 November, 2024
An upgraded boat ramp at Laanecoorie Reservoir’s Brownbill Reserve is open.
Thanks to recreational boating licence and registration fees, the boat ramp was relocated 160 metres to the west to make it easier to get out on the water and increase safety for swimmers.
It opened in late November 2024 ahead of a busy summer period, with minor works to be completed in early 2025.
Project Highlights:
The newly relocated boat ramp will make getting out on the water easier and reduce congestion during summer at the popular central Victorian destination.
The project has been completed thanks to an $800,000 grant from the Victorian Government’s Better Boating Fund, which reinvests recreational boaters’ licence and registration fees.
Laanecoorie Reservoir dams the Loddon River near Dunolly and can see up to 200 users enjoying time on or in the water on a busy summer’s day. The Brownbill Reserve ramp is located near the dam wall and the Laanecoorie Lakeside Resort at the northern end of the reservoir.
The existing launching spot has been decommissioned and has been replaced with a like-for-like concrete ramp about 160m to the west of the site, with a gravel parking area featuring enough space for 12 cars and trailers.
Laanecoorie sees a mix of users with fishing popular throughout the year, while many families hit the water to ski, tow a donut or even sail during the warmer months.
Laanecoorie has been stocked with 825,000 Murray cod and golden perch since 2014 as part of the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s record-breaking stocking program, which saw 11.5 million fish released across Victoria in 2023-24.
While access to the old facility is no longer available for boats, paddlers will still be able to use it to launch kayaks and canoes. The old parking area will also remain available for boaters, paddlers and fishers casting a line from the shore, a short walk from the new ramp.