Mornington Peninsula Shire seizing unthorised dinghies, catamarans and kayaks
Sailors and anglers have been leaving small boats on Mornington Peninsula beaches since 1970. Now they’re being told to move on. Subscribe to have your say.
South East
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Boaties fear they are no longer welcome on the Mornington Peninsula after an “elitist” move to “ban” their dinghies and kayaks from the beaches.
The local council has started removing unauthorised watercraft as part of a scheme to rid the foreshore of abandoned and derelict boats.
Only boats in racks or those registered with Mornington Peninsula Shire as tenders for watercraft with official moorings will be allowed to remain.
The clean up, which has been on the cards for months, has angered locals who say it is “discriminatory”.
John Adamson, 72, leaves his catamaran on the foreshore at Camerons Bight each summer and said sailing was critical for his mental well being.
“I am a sufferer from Bipolar Disorder 2 with frequent suicidal ideation and also the survivor of Cardiac Arrest. I am also physically disabled. My catamaran and motorcycle are my connection with life!”
Mr Adamson has taken his boat home to Rye for the winter but planned to return it to Camerons Bight when the sailing season began again in October.
“I’m hoping common sense will prevail and I, and other people, will be able to leave their boats on the beach over summer,” he said.
Blairgowrie resident Andrea Allen said small boats had been stored on the beach since the 1970s.
“Even people who don’t actually have boats say that they (will) miss them and they added to the character of the area,” she said.
“There is no doubt that a clean up in some areas is welcomed, but a permanent ban is not necessary and will prevent some people from being able to enjoy their regular boating activities on the bay.”
Mayor Steve Holland said unauthorised watercraft “dumped or left” on the foreshore were “potentially dangerous”, degraded the environment and restricted public access to the beach. “The issue of watercraft left on the foreshore is something raised every year by our community and visitors as a key concern,” he said.
“If you can afford to purchase and maintain a private boat or watercraft for personal use, there is a reasonable community expectation that you can store that vessel so that it is not left on a public beach.”
Cr Holland said the cost of moorings was a “legitimate concern” and something the council would continue to raise with the state government.
The council flagged a plan to remove derelict boats from the foreshore between Sorrento and Blairgowrie in December 2022.
On May 16 the council adopted Coastal and Marine Management Plans for Mount Eliza, Flinders and Portsea.
All three included a shire-wide action plan to “manage watercraft storage on foreshores, including removal of unauthorised watercraft”.
“We’ve gone from uncontrolled dinghy storage causing issues on a section of foreshore in Sorrento, to out of control council officers placing bans on the entire peninsula without consultation or an opportunity to work with them to develop potential solutions,” Ms Allen said.
