Recreational boating registration and licence fees work to improve access and safety for users of the state’s waterways, writes Daniel Wood.

Since 1998, Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) has invested more than $33m into recreational boating facilities across Tasmania.

Funded through recreational boating registration and licence fees, these works focus on practical upgrades that improve access, capacity and safety for users of Tasmanian waterways. As demand continues to grow statewide, targeted infrastructure improvements ensure facilities remain usable across a range of conditions for recreational boaters.

Recently completed projects

Sisters Beach
The existing timber walkway was replaced with a concrete landing stage, creating a stronger and longer-lasting structure. At the same time, the ramp’s surface was repaired to ensure better access. These improvements will make the area more durable, safer and easier for everyone to use.

Garden Point
An 8.2m extension was added to the existing pontoon, reducing congestion at the boat ramp by increasing berthing space. Completed works provide a more efficient launching and retrieval facility – particularly during busy periods.

Boomer Bay
A 12m extension has been added to the existing timber walkway. This extension increases the facility’s capacity and enhances vessel access, particularly during periods of high demand when multiple users require simultaneous access.

Lake Crescent Boat Ramp
An 18m multi-level walkway has been constructed alongside the existing ramp. The stepped design allows boaters to safely access their vessels at different lake levels, ensuring the facility remains functional despite seasonal fluctuations.

Millbrook Rise
To increase the capacity of this facility, a 21m pontoon has been installed on the northern side of the ramp and is structurally supported by a 3.3m concrete abutment (connecting it to shore). This work complements the existing southern pontoon, improves vessel flow, and reduces delays and congestion during vessel launches and retrievals.

Opossum Bay
The existing boat ramp has been widened by 2.5m and extended by 4m. These improvements enhance access, particularly at low tide, enabling easier launching, and reduce pressure on users attempting to retrieve vessels in often constrained conditions due
to weather or demand.

Current projects

Heybridge Boat Ramp
The existing concrete ramp will be replaced with a new one. Once complete, this work will provide a more reliable launching surface, improve safety and usability, and is expected to be completed in July 2026.

Stieglitz Jetty
To increase berthing capacity and improve access for vessels, particularly during peak periods, the existing timber walkway will be extended. Works at this facility are expected to be completed in Spring 2026.

Lake Mackintosh
The water level of Lake Mackintosh is subject to rapid change. To improve usability and provide safer access between vessels and the shore, a stepped timber walkway will be constructed alongside the existing ramp. Works are expected to be completed in spring 2026.

Infrastructure improvements explained

Improvement works undertaken by MAST are deliberate and functional, and designed to address a specific access or safety issue. Extending pontoons creates more space for vessels, widening ramps reduces congestion at launch points, and multi-level walkways improve access as water levels change.

Importantly, these improvements are not simply one-off investments. Boating participation and use of Tasmanian waterways have increased steadily year on year, and the types of
vessels using these facilities continue to change.

Without ongoing upgrades, a facility can become a bottleneck, leading to increased wait times, difficult launching, berthing, or retrieval conditions, and compromising overall user safety. The reinvestment of vessel registration and licence fees ensures facilities can be maintained and upgraded to meet increasing demand.

This investment also ensures that funding remains tied to the needs and safety of the Tasmanian boating community.

Small boating fund

Alongside larger works, funded through MAST’s Infrastructure Plan, smaller projects also play a critical role in keeping waterways accessible and safe. Through the MAST Small Boating Fund, up to $350,000 is available each year for targeted infrastructure and safety improvements. Applications are open year-round, and councils and community groups are encouraged to put forward projects that will improve access and safety at their local sites.

Together, major upgrades and smaller funded projects form a coordinated approach to maintaining Tasmania’s boating infrastructure. For Tasmanian boaters, the outcome is straightforward. The facilities they rely on are being maintained, improved and expanded using their direct contributions.

Find a marine facility statewide on MAST’s website – Facilities page.

Daniel Wood
Recreational Boating Infrastructure Project Manager – Marine and Safety Tasmania