Delighted that a pontoon will be built at the Blind Bight boat ramp are, from left, Trevor Constantine, Bob O’Connell, Graeme Elso, Graeme Haylock, Phil Hamilton, Colin Van Leeuwen, Bob Wray and Bob Carlos. 28620 Picture: Stewart Chambers
By Bridget Brady
IT WAS rough sailing, but Blind Bight residents are now celebrating a victory for a long-awaited pontoon at their boat ramp.
Last week’s tick of approval for extensions at the Blind Bight boat ramp is music to residents’ ears, after at least three years of tussling with government departments.
Due to the Environmental Significance Overlay throughout the coast villages, there are strict environmental controls in Blind Bight, which residents say make victory even sweeter. The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) confirmed the pontoon last week.
Resident Bob Wray said people had worked hard to get permission for the pontoon, which would improve the accessibility and safety of the boat ramp. Residents said it had been a frustrating road for relatively simple upgrades.
“We are over the moon. Finally!” Mr Wray said.
“There has been a lot of hard work and it is fantastic to eventually get the OK.”
Mr Wray said a lot of people found it hard to use the ladder to get off boats and on to the boat ramp. A pontoon would allow less agile people and those with disabilities to use the water.
“There are a lot of retirees who live here and many of them have a very hard time using that ladder.”
The pontoon would also alleviate the crammed traffic by allowing two to four boats to come in at one time.
“At the moment, if there are five boats waiting to come in and the tide is coming in you’ve got to get in real fast. And that can be hard for some.”
Resident Colin Van Leeuwen said the extended boat ramp would benefit many people.
“It will be a lot quicker and now we won’t have people stuck in the mud,” Mr Van Leeuwen said.
Marine Safety Victoria told the News it had contributed $136,800 to the project.
Communications manager at Marine Safety Victoria, Zoe Bickerspaffe, said the Blind Bight Owners Association first put an application in for extensions to the boat ramp in 2006.
“The money will be used for the installation of the pontoon and upgrade and widening of the boat ramp,” Ms Bickerspaffe said.
“It is fantastic to see this happen and we are looking forward to officially launching it when it is completed.”
Ms Bickerspaffe said there was no confirmed start date for when works would begin.
“But it is great to see for a small community like Blind Bight. They have been waiting for a while now.”
