Boaters will soon be able to more easily launch and retrieve boats in Western Port Phillip Bay thanks to upgrades at the Kirk Point boatramp near Geelong.

Kirk Point currently has a single-lane ramp east of Avalon Airport in The Spit Wildlife Reserve. The area is popular with fishers as well as bird watchers within the adjoining wildlife reserve who use the area for parking.

A new double lane ramp will make launching and retrieving boats easier. A breakwater will provide shelter from wave action, and an additional 31 car trailer parks will making parking more convenient. This will improve access to the boat ramp and The Spit Wildlife Reserve.

Work is being done outside the peak boating season to minimise inconvenience to people and during the cooler months to minimise impact on migratory birds in and around the nearby wetlands.

This upgrade will redirect vehicle access to help protect the sensitive saltmarsh vegetation at Kirk Point, which is important to migratory birds.

Construction is expected to begin next month and be finished in late 2023. The boatramp and carpark will be closed while work is underway.

Parks Victoria is working with Better Boating Victoria to deliver these upgrades, in close consultation with Melbourne Water, the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners, the boating community and local environmental groups.

This $4 million upgrade was identified as a priority as part of the 2022-23 Victorian Recreational Boating Action Plan, with the distribution of boaters’ registration and licence fees funding the project through the Government’s Better Boating Fund.

Find out more about Kirk Point boatramp upgrades.