Anglers should find it much easier to get among the snapper this year when a $1.7 million upgrade of the Olivers Hill Boat Ramp is completed.
The work will include construction of a 50m jetty between new boat ramps, improving boat access to the bay.
“The upgrade will take some of the demand off the main waterfront boat ramp and will allow 10-12 vessels to be tied to the jetty at any one time,” says Frankston Mayor James Dooley.
Work has started and is expected to be completed in October ahead of the snapper season.
The upgrade is one of several major developments taking place to cement Frankston Waterfront’s place as one of the city’s prime attractions.
Construction of the Frankston Yacht Club has been completed, and a permanent home for Sand Sculpting Australia has moved a step closer with a planning application about to be lodged with Frankston City Council.
Over the next few months the yacht club and the new restaurant and café operators will complete their fit-outs before opening to the public. “The club not only includes a public café and significant decking overlooking the beach, it hosts a first-floor restaurant with enviable views over Port Phillip Bay, 80 carparking spaces and facilities for the yacht club and rescue boats,” Cr Dooley says.
Sand Sculpting Australia has become synonymous with the Frankston Waterfront and has been a huge driver of tourism, with more than a million visitors since the first annual exhibition in 2007. It has injected more than $100 million into the region’s economy and provides more than 50 casual summer jobs each year, so a year-round operation would bring increased benefits to Frankston and the Peninsula.
“While there is still due process to follow, we have been happy to work collaboratively with its operators, Sandstorm Events, to discuss opportunities for the event’s continued success,” Cr Dooley says.
“Frankston City is in demand. These works will ensure that the waterfront remains viable for everyone to enjoy, now and into the future.”