Better Boating Fund to deliver big benefits for Victoria
20 August 2021
The Victorian Government is investing more than $33 million in the Better Boating Fund, making recreational boating cheaper and more accessible for Victorians to enjoy.
An unprecedented increase from the previous $5 million per year investment, the new fund delivers on a promise the Labor Government made to Victorians at the 2018 election to ensure all money from the licence fees and recreational vessel registration of Victorian boaters goes to improving boating infrastructure and programs.
The Department of Transport and Better Boating Victoria will manage the fund’s distribution, having already made it free to park and launch at Victorian boat ramps – and has embarked on the most significant boat ramp construction program in the state’s history.
In the first year of the fund, the $33 million investment will contribute to enhanced infrastructure and facilities, maintenance and management, improved access, safer waterways, boating destinations, enhanced data, and boating promotion.
To guide the fund’s ongoing allocation, Better Boating Victoria has developed the first Victorian Recreational Boating Strategy, co-designed with a Ministerial Recreational Boating Roundtable to deliver the priorities of recreational boaters across the state.
Further informing the development of the strategy is the review into the management of boating facilities across Port Phillip and Western Port – a Government commitment finalised in 2020.
The draft strategy is currently out for its final round of consultation through the Engage Vic portal. Once complete, it will underpin annual action plans to determine the investment from the Better Boating Fund each financial year.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Fishing and Boating Melissa Horne
“The Better Boating Fund will upgrade boat ramps, improve safety, establish a dredging program and provide much needed upgrades across the state for boaters, local businesses and regional tourism operators.
“We’ve undertaken some of the most extensive consultation with the boating community so they can determine how their license and registration fees will be spent on improving boating facilities for all Victorians.”