April 27, 2026
It’s an exciting time for Victorian boaters with a suite of new projects under construction, existing facilities receiving much-needed upgrades and other plans in progress to make it easier to get out on the water.
Through the Victorian Government’s Better Boating Fund, our boat registrations and marine licences are reinvested in projects and programs that benefit the boating community – such as funding planning and upgrades of boat ramp facilities across coastal and inland waters, boating safety and education, compliance and enforcement and marine search and rescue.
We’re thrilled to see there have been so many project updates recently in the boating and access sector. Construction has started at Lake Eildon for a new boat ramp, upgrades are starting at Tooradin, and the extension of a boat ramp at Rocklands Reservoir is now complete – to name a few. We’ve compiled a list of recent boating and access related updates below from Better Boating Victoria, Parks Victoria, boat ramp managers and other organisations so you can see how projects are tracking at your favourite waterways.
We know that access to our waterways is a significant issue facing Victorian recreational fishers. Ensuring better access and appropriate facilities is a key priority for VRFish so that all Victorians can enjoy the vast range of fishing opportunities across the state.
Providing adequate access allows people of all ages, backgrounds, demographics and ability to enjoy wetting a line. VRFish and its members spend countless hours advocating for gaining or maintaining our level of access, improving pier and land-based fishing opportunities, safe harbours for ocean fishing and better boating infrastructure, governance and investment.
To ensure recreational fishers priorities are strongly represented ahead of the upcoming Victorian State Election, VRFish launched our Election Priorities to advocate for better recreational fishing outcomes. Through this plan, we are advocating for the Victorian Recreational Boating Strategy priorities to continue being delivered as well as increasing recreational fisher access to all urban waters and developing new recreational fisheries by opening Yan Yean Reservoir, Merrimu Reservoir and Djerriwarrh Reservoir to recreational fishing.
Recent Boating and Access Updates
Lake Eildon
Construction of a new boat ramp at the Howqua Inlet, Lake Eildon, commenced mid-April. Recently announced by the Minister for Outdoor Recreation, Steve Dimopoulos, the new facility will boast a two-lane concrete boat ramp and 18 parking spaces.
Tooradin
Tooradin boat ramp is now closed as work has begun to upgrade the ramp. The exisiting three-lane ramp will be replaced with an extended ramp including a new grooved surface, new floating pontoons for boats to be tied up to and improvements to the existing single-lane carpark access road to reduce bottlenecks and improve vehicle flow. It’s expected to be complete before snapper season in spring 2026.
Lake Colac
It’ll soon be easier to get on and off the water at Lake Colac thanks to new pontoons that will be installed at the boat ramp. The pontoons will improve safety for those launching boats and families fishing at the lake. The project will be funded through the Victorian Government’s Better Boating Fund with $650,000 allocated in the 2025–26 budget to deliver the upgrade.
Flinders Pier
In their latest community update, Parks Victoria have shared that while works are continuing on Flinders Pier, the timber inner section is more deteriorated than expected. The damage only became clear once the deck was removed and the beams, crossheads and pile tops were exposed. The unexpected damage means the pier cannot be repaired and the full length of the timber inner section will need to be replaced – this is not a part of the current scope of the project nor budget. Parks are working with the project’s engineers to find the best way forward. In the meantime, all the old timber piles have been removed and a balustrade will be installed along the edge of the concrete pier to ensure community safety.
According to Parks, they will rebuild some of the inner timber section and expect to be able to open the repaired section to the community once works are finished. Repairs to stabilise the pier’s inner lower landings will be completed this month.
Rocklands Reservoir
The Mountain Dam Road Boat Ramp at Rocklands Reservoir has been extended by Better Boating Victoria and Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water. The ramp is situated on the northern side of the reservoir and the new gravel extension will allow boaters to use the ramp when the reservoir’s water level drops to 27 per cent.
Schnapper Point
Works to upgrade the Schnapper Point boat ramp will begin late-April. The exisiting boat ramp will be closed during construction and is expected to be open in October. The upgrades at the ramp include installing a new finger jetty, construction of a longer and wider boat ramp and a new concrete manoeuvring area and pedestrian crossing to make using the carpark safer for all.
Newhaven
Maintenance works were recently completed at Newhaven Jetty. The work was undertaken by Bass Coast Shire Council and the structure is now safe to use. In line with the Victorian Government’s Recreational Boating Strategy 2021-2030, Bass Coast Shire Council and Better Boating Victoria are developing detailed designs for a wider facility upgrade at Newhaven.
Tullaroop Reservoir
Tullaroop Reservoir, near Maryborough, was opened to allow on-water access via canoes, kayaks and boats with electric motors back in 2019. Since then, it’s been a popular destination for boaters. However, the existing gravel ramp is prone to erosion caused by wave action and changes in water levels.
Now, the boat ramp at Tullaroop Reservoir is set to be upgraded to include a pre-cast, single-lane concrete boat ramp approximately 60m long, with chevron grooves to increase traction. It will also include a boat ramp crest which will extend above the reservoir to provide 0.5m minimum vertical height to high water and a re-sheeted access track off Roxborough Road.
Karadoc (Mildura)
The Karadoc boat ramp is set to be upgraded to make it easier to access the Murray River in the Mildura region. A new concrete ramp will be laid which will be longer and steeper than the current ramp. It’ll feature a grooved surface to provide more traction and, in combination with wave action, will help to clear sediment from the ramp. It will be delivered by Better Boating Victoria and Parks Victoria in the upcoming 2026/27 financial year.
Lang Lang
Upgrades at Lang Lang are now complete. The upgraded facility features a new jetty for up to five vessels to be tied up to, a new concrete ramp and a new pedestrian access ramp to the beach.
St Leonards Pier
Parks Victoria have confirmed the design for the new St Leonards Pier is now finalised following recent community consultation.
Tarago Reservoir
Announced in 2022, opening a new boating facility at Tarago Reservoir is a key commitment of the Victorian Government’s Go Fishing and Boating Victoria plan. In November 2024, the project was progressing and an announcement by Minister for Outdoor Recreation at the time, Steve Dimopoulos, revealed the selected location of the new boating facility – along Tarago Reservoir’s western shoreline, off North Jindivick Road.
At the North Jindivick Road site, a single-lane boat ramp, car park and amenities block will be installed to allow recreational fishing and boating access at the reservoir. The current timeline expects the on-ground works to commence mid-2026 and the new ramp is expected to be opened in October/November 2026.
As Tarago Reservoir is a drinking water storage it’s vital that the quality of the drinking water is protected. Due to this, it has been confirmed that petrol motors (and petrol related components such as fuel cells) will not be permitted on vessels used at Tarago Reservoir. Instead, alternatives such as vessels with electric motors and non-motorised craft (canoes, kayaks) will be allowed.
Better all-abilities access to our waterways
Better Boating Victoria are working to expand the accessible network across the state to ensure more Victorians can get out on the water. They’ve included an interactive map on their website to ensure fishers can find all-abilities accessible fishing platforms and boating facilities across the state.
Free boat trailer reversing and launching clinics
Over the next few months, Better Boating Victoria and the Women in Fishing and Boating Network (WIRFAB) are running a series of boat trailer launching clinics across Victoria. The classes will provide an informative overview of launching and retrieving a boat, a detailed demonstration of how to launch and an opportunity for hands-on practice.
The sessions run for 45 minutes and there are multiple sessions available throughout the day. When booking your spot, please be aware that some sessions are open to all genders while other sessions will be women only to ensure a comfortable and supportive learning environment for all participants.
VRFish advocating for better recreational fishing access
To ensure recreational fishers priorities are strongly represented ahead of the upcoming Victorian State Election, VRFish launched our Election Priorities to advocate for better recreational fishing outcomes.
At the heart of the plan, VRFish will be advocating for better fishing experiences through five core areas – better fish, better access, better environment, better regulations and better future.
To enhance recreational access to our waterways, VRFish is advocating for:
- Continue to deliver priorities from the Victorian Recreational Boating Strategy.
- Mandate recreational fishing access to all urban waters throughout Victoria, including Edwardes Park Lake and Newport Lakes.
- Develop new inland fisheries close to Melbourne by opening Yan Yean Reservoir, Merrimu Reservoir and Djerriwarrh Reservoir to recreational fishing.
- Roads to rivers: Provide additional funding to improve crown land access to public water, by activating ‘unused road reserves’.
