Eligibility and grant categories

Recreational Boating Facilities Scheme (RBFS) grants are only available to:

• Local governments.
• State Government departments.
• Statutory authorities responsible for recreational boating facilities.

These organisations are best situated to determine the needs of local boating communities and to license, operate and maintain facilities on a long-term basis. They are encouraged to consult with their local community to develop ideas for RBFS grant proposals.

Notes:

• Only applications from the above authorities will be accepted.
• Volunteer marine rescue groups, community groups or individuals seeking an RBFS grant will need to liaise with one of these authorities to prepare and submit an application.
• The facility must be licensed to an eligible authority and available to the recreational boating public.

Recreational Boating Facilities Scheme grants will only be awarded for projects located at a public boating facility or its related navigational channels. This includes either new facilities or upgrades of existing ones.

Eligibility of projects

• Maritime infrastructure (such as ramps, jetties, moorings, breakwaters, navigation aids and new channels).
• Land-based infrastructure (such as trailer parking, toilets, waste facilities, fish cleaning tables and signage regarding marine safety, fishing).
• Accessibility infrastructure (such as universal access paths).

Notes:

• Land-based facilities will only be funded if the associated maritime infrastructure is well maintained and has a valid jetty licence.
• Applicants must not have commenced a project at the time of advice of grant approval.
• Demolition of existing boating facilities may be funded if associated with the construction or upgrading works.

Combined commercial and recreational boating facilities

Applications for combined recreational and commercial facilities may be considered if:

• Recreational use is greater than 25% of total use.
• An eligible authority will own the asset.

If awarded, grants may be calculated pro-rata based on the percentage of use by recreational boaters.

Ineligible projects

Applications for the following types of projects will not be assessed:

• Facilities not used primarily by boats, such as a fishing platform or toilet in a park without a boat ramp or jetty.
• Facilities solely for commercial vessels.
• Facilities which are not available to the recreational boating public.
• General maintenance or operational costs.
• Maintenance dredging.
• Private facilities or those associated with private clubs.
• Projects that have already commenced construction.

When applying for the Recreational Boating Facilities Scheme grant, it is important to know what category you are applying for, as each requires different forms and documents.

There are two categories of grants that you can apply for:

• Planning.
• Works.

Planning grants

Planning grants are available for the preliminary work required before construction can commence, such as:

• Feasibility studies,
• Site investigations,
• Strategic plans,
• Detailed cost estimates,
• Community consultation,
• Environmental impact assessment, and
• Detailed engineering drawings.

To apply for a planning grant, please download the application form.

Note:

• A successful planning application does not guarantee that the construction project itself will be funded in future rounds.

Work grants

Works grants are available for the construction of public recreational boating facilities.

Applicants may want to split large projects with multiple components into several stages, and apply for grants in successive funding rounds. This is because the amount of funding applied for is an important factor in assessing a proposal, and an application for a large amount may be denied if there are limited funds available.

Each stage must complete a component of the overall project.

To apply for a planning grant, please download the application form.

Note:

• A successful grant for one stage does not guarantee that later stages will receive funding in future.