February 11, 2019
Ramp Rage
noun
sudden anger provoked by the state of a boat ramp; including extensive wait times, unsafe conditions, limited facilities and high parking fees.
Ramp Rage is far too common for many Victorian recreational fishers and boaters. VRFish are inundated with calls from frustrated fishers about the state of their favourite boat ramps. Some of the major concerns include ridiculous wait times to launch and retrieve, unsafe ramps covered in sand and slippery algae, limited facilities, safety concerns as well as the inconvenience of online parking ticket systems and high costs associated with launching boats.
In the lead up to the 2018 Victorian State Election, VRFish advocated for:
- 100% return of recreational boating registration and license fees to a Trust Account to build, maintain and improve Victoria’s recreational boating infrastructure.
- Establish one single expertise-based agency to oversee, build and maintain our boating infrastructure.
The re-elected Labor State Government committed to establishing a Better Boating Fund to “fix boat ramps, abolish all boat ramp parking and launching fees and make sure that every cent of licencing and registration fees is spent on boating safety and facilities.” Many fishers are frustrated that they are still required to pay parking fees in the interim as the Government develops a plan to abolish these parking and launching fees.
To gain an understanding of the areas that fishers and boaters want to see fixed, RACV Marine is conducting a 2019 Victorian Rate Your Ramp survey. The survey asks fishers and boaters to state where they would like to see the money spent by rating the facilities for boaters at public ramps across Victoria. It is a fantastic way to have your say on the state of your favourite boat ramps. The survey only lets you input one boat ramp at a time, however, we suggest completing the survey for each of your used boat ramps – especially if they are in desperate need of some TLC.
The survey closes on Monday 25th February 2019 at 9am. Results will be released in March 2019.
