2025-26 Recreational Boating Structural Maintenance Program

The Victorian Government is investing $500,000 from the Better Boating Fund into the 2025-26 Recreational Boating Structural Maintenance Program. The funding will support public boat ramp managers to maintain their facilities in a good and safe condition.

Grants of up to $110,000 will support organisations that manage public boat ramps across Victoria to repair and maintain facilities so that boat ramps remain functional and safe.

Eligible projects may include repairing boat ramp surfaces, jetties or pontoons, minor works to breakwall structures and maintenance of other boating infrastructure, such as car-trailer parking areas and aids to navigation infrastructure

The previous round of the program supported 13 grant recipients to deliver projects to improve boating across both inland and coastal Victoria, from Lake Eppalock in the state’s middle, to Nelson in the state’s far-west.

Applications are now open to eligible organisations for the latest round of grants. This is made possible thanks to the reinvestment of boating licence and vessel registration fees through the Better Boating Fund. In the 2025-26 round of grants, a total of $500,000 in grants is available.

The grants program will be overseen by the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Better Boating division, which is progressing the state’s biggest ever boat ramp construction program and ensuring launching and parking remains free at all of Victoria’s public ramps.

A Funding Advisory Panel consisting of government and industry stakeholders will assess the grant applications received against the funding assessment criteria and provide recommendations to the Minister for Outdoor Recreation.

Eligible organisations consist of local councils, committees of management, catchment management authorities, water corporations and state government bodies.

An eligible organisation may submit multiple applications for consideration. To apply, please head to our SmartyGrants portal: https://fisheriesvictoria.smartygrants.com.au/25-26-StructuralMaintenanceGrants

Full funding guidelines can be accessed via this link.

Applications close at 5pm on Friday 12 June 2026.

For further information please contact the team at Better Boating Victoria – BBV.Communications@vfa.vic.gov.au