$48m action sports precinct approved for The Ranch, Boneo
The next gold medal winning skateboarder could master their tricks and flips on the Mornington Peninsula after an ambitious plan got the nod from the local council.
South East
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A world-class action sports precinct with year-round skiing and skate parks to take aspiring athletes from the grassroots level to elite competition will be built on the Mornington Peninsula.
The $48m centre, believed to be an Australian first, has been approved for an existing camping and horseriding business at Boneo known as The Ranch.
It is expected to attract close to 500,000 visitors and pump about $38m into the local economy each year.
The Ranch owner Jodi Neary said the one-of-a-kind precinct would be an important boost to Victoria’s “thriving action sports community”.
“Action sports are no longer seen as a recreational pastime,” Ms Neary said.
“They are now legitimate sports and the results from the Tokyo and Paris Olympics (gold medals in skate boarding and BMX events) has been inspiring.”
The facilities proposed for The Ranch would allow it to host national skate boarding championships and provide important off-mountain training facilities for aerial skiers, Ms Neary said.
An artificial snow slope would let beginners to try skiing for the first time without the cost of going to the snow.
“It will make skiing affordable for families who want to give it a go,” Ms Neary said.
She said the precinct aimed to be a “fun and inclusive, safe and inspiring environment with pathways for progression from grassroots to elite athletes”.
Ambitious plans lodged with the local council also included a floating jungle ropes course, a large artificial lake with full size cable for wakeboarding and indoor and outdoor skate parks.
A second, smaller man-made lake would cater for beginner wakeboarders, stand-up paddle boarding and canoeing.
The Ranch’s existing mountain board facilities would be expanded to include boarder cross tracks for beginners and experienced riders and an advanced freestyle park.
BMX enthusiasts would have an indoor and outdoor park for year-round riding and mountain bikers of all ages and skill levels could hone their technique on traditional trails and jumps.
The Ranch’s existing caravan park would be expanded from 60 sites to 105 and on-site accommodation for staff would be built.
The proposal has drawn 107 objections and 38 letters of support.
Those against the plan feared it was not suited to the green wedge and were concerned about the size of the development and its impact on the environment and local amenity.
“I have a science background and it’s so important to me that the designs for the precinct are really carefully and thoughtfully done,” Ms Neary said.
“We’ve been running an adventure park here for 40 years. We understand the green wedge and how vital it is.”
The project recently received a $500,00 state government grant from the Enabling Tourism Fund.
The money would be used for design development, business planning and to formulate a funding strategy.
Ms Neary said the project also had the backing of Snow Australia, Cycling Australia and Skate Australia.
Mornington Peninsula councillors on Monday night voted in favour of the proposal after a push by councillor David Gill to defer the decision was rejected.
Ms Neary told the councillors the family owned business was “not developers looking to make a quick buck”,
She added: “We determined to make a difference for our community.”
The Ranch hoped to break ground on the project by the end of 2025, she said.