St Leonards

As part of the Victorian Government’s investment into improving recreational boating to make it easier for families to get out on the water, St Leonards boat ramp on the Bellarine Peninsula has been identified as needing improvements.

The facility comprises a four-lane concrete boat ramp with a central timber jetty. Recreational fishers predominantly use the facility along with a small number of other recreational boaters. Fish cleaning facilities, parking and toilets are also available.

Due to the increasing demand and popularity of facility, it has been prioritised to investigate upgrade options to increase the capacity and improve the functionality of the boat ramp.

We heard from boaters as part of the Victorian Recreational Boating Strategy, who told us St Leonards needed work to be more functional.

Some of the issues that we’re aware of include:

• The need for improved parking arrangements
• Lack of shelter in the ramp area aside from wave screens installed along the timber jetty
• Certain weather conditions make using the ramp difficult to use and at times dangerous
• Limited depth at low tide

Recreational boaters, fishers and members of the broader community were invited to complete a survey to enable us to better understand the issues and concerns that need to be considered in April, 2022. The results of that survey will be released and further updates provided as the project progresses to the design phase.