General News
7 August, 2026
Works planned following lake receding
LAKE Bullen Merri’s southern beach saw some activity on Tuesday as equipment was moved onsite in preparation for works.
The works have been funded through Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) and Better Boating Victoria and aim to address the receding water levels of the lake.
A crane travelled to the lake on Tuesday to deliver supplies for when the work commenced.
Lake Bullen Merri South Beach Committee president Phil Russell said the committee was fortunate to receive the funding.
“We’ve been in discussion with Better Boating and VFA for some time because of the alarming drop in the lake level,” he said.
“There had been a really significant drip over this latest summer period, which has meant that a couple of central pontoons have become beached.
“It became a safety concern as well as a risk of wear and tear on the pontoons themselves with the scraping of sand onto the bodies of the pontoons.
“It’s been an ongoing conversation with VFA and Better Boating – we’ve been keeping them updated on the state of the ramp, and we wanted to get ahead of the curve to make sure we weren’t going to have similar issues as Lake Purrumbete which had to close for a period of time.
“We just wanted to maintain consistent access to the lake for all users.”
Mr Russell said works were expected to take around two weeks, with commencement awaiting permit approval.
“We had to get some equipment onsite because there’s challenges in getting bars of that size moved around, so we wanted to have those in place as everything else is ready to go,” he said.
“The main part of the equipment is already on site and ready to build, so it’s just preparation work in anticipation of the permits being finalised.
“We’re looking at maybe two weeks, but we’ll know more once the permits are approved so we can punch in a more accurate timeline for when works will commence.
“We also would like to acknowledge the support of the contractor Bridgewater Marine who have been working with us to get work started once permits are granted.
“It is a specialized field and to be able secure their commitment to timelines has been a huge benefit.”
Mr Russell said the committee was “absolutely over the moon” with the support, extending their gratitude to everyone including VFA, Better Boating and the Corangamite Shire Council for their ongoing support.
“To have the support we’ve had from Better Boating and the VFA has been fantastic,” he said.
“It was a big investment by them to help get the ramp done initially, but the fact they are supporting us, as they said they would, to maintain the ramp is a big kick for us.
“Funding for anything is difficult to get, so we’re thrilled we’ve received money that’s going towards this project.
“They’ve certainly provided the ongoing support they said they would when the project was initially given the green light some years ago.
“We couldn’t ask any more of what they’re doing for us.”
Mr Russell also extended his gratitude to members of the committee, whether they were official members or unofficial volunteers, who helped to maintain the south beach.
“Anyone that goes up to south beach can see the care, attention and work that goes into maintaining south beach,” he said.
“If the VFA and Better Boating look at the facilities that we provide there, I think they’ll assume it is a worthy project and worthy of money being put out to maintain because of the standard we have at the facility.
“It’s a credit to the committee – they do an amazing job up there to maintain it.
“Without them, and without the level of presentation the lake has, I don’t think we would have got the funding, or it would have been a little more challenging.
“It’s pretty exciting times, and it’s going to mean that access is going to continue uninterrupted.”
Mr Russell said there were concerns about the recent significant drop in water levels, with a number of guesses being made around what was contributing to the drop.
“It really is time to have some serious discussions about what can be done to help maintain the current water level,” he said.
“Can the drains in the surrounding area be reviewed?
“What effect is the nearby irrigation having if any?
“Can groundwater be pumped into the lake?
“There is a cost for not doing anything.”
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