Tarago Reservoir

Tarago Reservoir

Better Boating Victoria is working to progress the potential of a new boating facility at Tarago Reservoir.

Tarago Reservoir is a water storage managed by Melbourne Water and was built in 1967 to service the drinking water needs of the southeastern parts of the growing city. The reservoir still provides high-quality drinking water to Greater Melbourne and to communities in Gippsland.

Recreational access (including recreational fishing and boating) to the reservoir was closed in 1978 to protect drinking water quality. Funding has been allocated for a water treatment upgrades to support the possibility of opening up Tarago Reservoir for fishing and boating access.

A risk assessment will be utilised by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) together with Melbourne Water to assess the risk of the types of vessels that will may be allowed to use any potential future boating opportunities on the reservoir.

Recently, $8 million has been invested in Tarago Reservoir to upgrade the water treatment infrastructure, to ensure any recreational fishing would not impact the water quality.

Maritime engineers FSC Range were also engaged in early 2024 to lead a multi criteria analysis to allow the selection of an appropriate site for the new facility. This analysis was conducted in association with BBV, Melbourne Water, Baw Baw Shire Council and DEECA and took into consideration results of cultural heritage, ecological constraints and town planning investigations.

Any new facility will be located at the end of North Jindivick Road, offering access to a suitable depth of water for launching boats while also minimising the excavation and tree clearing requited. Locations off Wagner Road at Neerim South and Tarago Reservoir Park were also considered but were deemed unsuitable.

Click here to read a media release from November 2024.

Design works commenced in late 2024 with design firm PARTNEAR appointed to assist BBV and Melbourne Water to design potential upgrades for boat launching and retrieval opportunities at North Jindivick Road. Design works include working with Traditional Owners, the local community and the broader boating and fishing community to contribute to designs and approvals for the boat launching facility and associated infrastructure.