Boating concerns ease

Concerns over a lack of boating infrastructure at the new Community and Boating Hub have been put to rest by the City of Melbourne.

The future boating co-tenants of the facility last month raised concerns at the City of Melbourne’s Future Melbourne Committee meeting that there was no boat launching area considered within the current plans.

In their written submission the future boating hub co-tenants, Dragon Boat Victoria, Docklands Yacht Club and Melbourne Outrigger Canoe Club said without a launching area, clubs would be unable to put boats in the water from the hub.

However, a City of Melbourne spokesperson last month confirmed to Docklands News that a launching area would be provided at the hub.

“The boating clubs currently operating out of Shed 2, North Wharf Rd access the water via a pontoon at this location,” the spokesperson said.

“Places Victoria control this pontoon and will be relocating it to the community hub to allow access to the water by the clubs. It is proposed that they will operate from this pontoon as they currently do from Shed 2.”

Dragon Boat Victoria president Eliza Campbell said her organisation understood that dock infrastructure was yet to be determined by Places Victoria and the City of Melbourne, however preliminary plans had been shared with the co-tenants.

The $8.1 million Community Hub and Boating Hub was funded through an agreement between the City of Melbourne, Places Victoria and Lend Lease.

“The three organisations have provided boat specifications to ensure that all can be serviced by the boat ramps and the launching facilities,” Ms Campbell said.

“The three organisations will have the chance to review the drawings prior to work commencing.”

Construction of the $8.1 million facility began in November last year and is well underway, with completion, including fit-out, scheduled for December.

Currently based at Shed 2, the boating clubs expect to move into the facility in the first quarter of 2016.

In its submission to the Future Melbourne Committee, the boating co-tenants also requested $190,366 in council funding in order to fit-out the new boating facility.

At the June 18 Future Melbourne Committee meeting Council committed $150,000 towards the fit-out, with the boating clubs to secure the remaining funding from other sources.

According to Ms Campbell, the remaining funding will be sought through fundraising.