NSW Boating Now

The NSW Boating Now Program provides grant funding to improve maritime infrastructure and facilities across NSW. This investment supports the needs of recreational and commercial boaters and enables broader economic and social benefits for communities.

The Program is funded from boating licence, registration and other fees collected by Transport for NSW (TfNSW). Since its inception in 2014, the Program has already delivered over 250 boating projects to the benefit of boaters across the State.

Our customers and stakeholders in industry and local government have consistently provided feedback about the need for us to continue investing in infrastructure to support boating and improve the planning and delivery of maritime infrastructure between state agencies, local councils and industry.

The NSW Government’s Maritime Infrastructure Plan (2019 - 2024) (MIP), released in December 2018, sets out a more strategic, coordinated approach to maritime infrastructure in NSW and makes a commitment to continue to provide support for maritime infrastructure owned by councils and other delivery partners, through the Boating Now Program.

In December 2021, TfNSW announced further funding of up to $28 million is available to support upgrades to maritime facilities across the state as part of the fourth round of the Boating Now Program. This latest investment builds on the $28 million third round of funding announced in 2019 and the original $70 million program. Round 4 funding will build on previous Boating Now investments, and will benefit boaters and communities across the State by:

• Improving the boating experience for customers by identifying projects that give waterway users better access, storage and boating facilities
• Improving safety by improving the quality of infrastructure and improving safe access to NSW waterways
• Enabling economic development by supporting increased boating participation and growth in boating-related tourism and marine industries
• Shaping successful places by improving public amenity and facilitating the improvement and activation of harbours and foreshore precincts.

Funding will continue to be provided to assist with emergency repairs of boating infrastructure similar to the previous Boating Infrastructure Emergency Repair Pool (BIERP). Funding requests for emergency repairs can be received at any time without the need to submit a Boating Now Registration of interest form.

More information about the BIERP is available through the BIERP Grant Guidelines (PDF, 258.82 KB).

To apply for BIERP grants, refer to the BIERP Grant Application Form (PDF, 126.4 KB).

If there are any enquiries about the guidelines and application form, please contact the Maritime Infrastructure Delivery Office via mido@transport.nsw.gov.au.

The Maritime Infrastructure Plan (MIP) also recognises the important role that major boat ramp facilities play in enabling waterway access and supporting tourism in popular NSW waterways. Funding will be made available through Boating Now to help develop a network of major boat ramps in key locations along the coast that provide a high level of service and amenity to multiple users in line with the NSW Boat Ramp Facility Guidelines (PDF, 5.13 MB).

Based on the strategic direction in the MIP, TfNSW has identified the following list of key locations where councils are invited to nominate a single facility for consideration as a Destination Boat Ramp.

• Tweed River
• Lower Richmond River
• Clarence River
• Coffs Harbour
• Port Macquarie
• Forster/Tuncurry
• Port Stephens
• Lake Macquarie
• Central Coast
• Hawkesbury/Nepean Rivers
• Lower Hawkesbury (Pittwater)
• Botany Bay/Georges River/Port Hacking
• Wollongong/Port Kembla
• Lower Shoalhaven River and Jervis Bay
• Batemans Bay and Clyde River
• Eden

Nominations for other localities will also be considered if the relevant council can demonstrate the strategic significance of the facility.

A boat ramp facility may be nominated as a Destination Boat Ramp if it meets the following criteria:

• Minimum of two concrete boat ramp lanes
• Sealed and lined parking for at least 50 car-trailer parking spaces per boat ramp lane
• Minimum of one pontoon or jetty with capacity for at least two berthed design vessels per boat ramp lane. In the case of an on-ramp pontoon or fixed jetty, the length of the pontoon or jetty should also be at least three times the length of the design vessel
• Minimum of one sealed rigging bay and one sealed de-rigging bay per boat ramp lane
• Accessible for users with facilities to be available for unassisted access at least 80% of the time
• Amenities block with equitable access to service the boat ramp facility
• Lighting to provide safe usage and access of all boat ramp, pontoon, jetty, amenities block and parking areas associated with the facility
• Covered fish cleaning facilities.

Councils with facilities that are determined by TfNSW to meet the Destination Boat Ramp criteria will be eligible to apply for funding of up to $20,000 per annum up to financially assist in maintaining these facilities to a high standard. Maintenance funding will be made available up to the end of Financial Year 2023/24, at which point a review of the scheme will be undertaken.

Funding for maintenance work at ramps proposed for the Destination Boat Ramp initiative can be applied for at any time during the NSW Boating Now Round 3 Program. Upon receipt of a completed nomination form, those boat ramp facilities assessed and determined by TfNSW to be a Destination Boat Ramp will be eligible for funding assistance.

To nominate a Destination Boat Ramp, complete the Destination Boat Ramp Nomination form.

If there are any enquiries about the guidelines and application form, please contact the Maritime Infrastructure Delivery Office via mido@transport.nsw.gov.au.