Boating fund to help boat ownersBoating fund to help boat owners

Local Altona District boaters will soon be able to pay their registration and licensing fees knowing that they are going directly back into upgrading local boating facilities and improving safety.

Local and loved boating infrastructure will be supported through the fund, ensuring that places such as Altona Boat Ramp are maintained for the boating community.

 “We’re reinvesting the registration and licensing fees of boat owners back into local boat infrastructure, which will mean places like Altona Boat Ramp aren’t left behind” , Jill Hennessy state member for Altona said.

The Victorian Government is delivering on its promise to reinvest fees directly back into the industry, with a new dedicated fund set to invest millions of dollars back into boating each year.

“This is landmark legislation which will transform the way the industry is managed in Victoria, and will create more transparency for boat owners, who will see exactly how much money has gone into which projects”  Ms Hennessy added.

The Better Boating Fund will ensure every cent of the approximately $30 million of boat licensing and registration fees collected each year goes towards improving boating for all Victorians.

Legislation introduced into Parliament will create the Fund, which will be dedicated to priorities including recreational boating facilities and boating safety and education across the state. 

It will be a far more transparent system, allowing boaters to see exactly how much is collected in fees each year and where the money goes.

The Government will work directly with boat owners and stakeholders, who will be invited to help co-design a new strategy for investment.

There will be extensive opportunities for public engagement and feedback during the fund’s development on where money would be best spent.

The Government has already abolished all boat ramp parking and launching fees, saving families up to $315 a year on annual parking permits.  

Recreational boating supports more than 20,000 jobs and is worth almost $8 billion a year to the Victorian economy, with the number of registrations increasing by 2.5 per cent on average each year over the past eight years.

By Singh