THE Mornington Peninsula Shire is developing a new concept design for the Hastings boat ramp carpark, aiming at easing congestion and improve safety at Victoria’s second-busiest ramp.
The proposed upgrade is part of the shire’s effort to support the growing boating and recreational community in Hastings and across the Western Port region. Proposals include changes to the parking layouts, while retaining vegetation, green space, and connections to the Western Port Bay Trail.
Under the plans, which is now available for the community to have their say, there would be 34 more sealed car and trailer unit (CTU) parks and two more accessible bays, bringing the total number of car parks to 84. The overflow parking capacity would remain at about 130 carparks. This area would remain grassed, but a section is being considered as a gravel road to help guide usage of the overflow area. Vegetation would also be featured within the green shaded area of the overflow carpark under the plans. Questions have been raised about whether plants would impact property views, but the council said they “are not expected to grow taller than the existing gum trees”.
The shire said the current entrance near Herring St is creating traffic congestion and limits traffic flow and circulation within the car park. “An entrance off Mullet St allows for a single point of entry and exit, improved traffic flow, a longer queuing area and should provide a safer, more user-friendly experience,” it said. The concept design is expected to be finished later this year with construction depending on how quickly the shire can secure funding.
The Westernport Angling Club has made a submission to the shire, with suggested improvements to benefit boaters including another 23 trailer bays (losing nine overflow spaces) with an additional 32 metres of bitumen.
“The main improvement to the current layout is the entry to the facility via Mullet St, and the exit to Skinner St aligned with Herring St. This removes the conflict of a single dog leg entry and exit which has existed for decades now,” the club’s life member and treasurer Don Newman said. “Boating users of the facility have an expectation that they will be able to launch and retrieve their boat with minimal time delay and not have to walk too far to and from the ramp launching area to their parking place. “They also prefer to have a sealed pavement parking rather than the sometimes muddy gravel area.”
Newman noted that getting the designs right was critical as the boat ramp was the second most popular in Victoria behind Patterson River’s Launching Way, which has sealed parking bays for 146 trailers, with Rye Boat ramp having more than 120 sealed parking bays.
“The proposed design for Hastings has only 87 sealed parking bays which needs to be increased,” Newman said, adding “by having trailer parking bays on asphalt with clear line marking allows for maximum capacity for the area, whereas the grass overflow parking has no formal parking arrangements and thus is less efficient for capacity”.
Warringine Ward councillor Michael Stephens said the boat ramp carpark was an “important and busy asset for our local community and the many visitors the Hastings boat ramp attracts”. “The more feedback we receive, the better placed we’ll be to make an informed decision,” he said.
Community consultation closes 6 August. Visit: www.shape.mornpen.vic.gov.au/hastings-boat-ramp-carpark
First published in the Mornington News – 22 July 2025
