The Tidal Waterways are a series of canals and harbours connected to the Patterson River, and in turn, Port Phillip Bay. They are separated from the river via flood protection gates, provide public drainage as well as recreational opportunities for the public boating community.
The Patterson Lakes Waterways Management Plan (2.07 MB, PDF) outlines management responsibilities:
- Kingston City Council are responsible for land management, including beach maintenance services
- Melbourne Water manages the tidal gates, jetties and related drainage infrastructure.
Tidal gates
Large, mechanical tidal gates protect the area’s 1,400 residents, their properties and local roads from flooding. There are four sets of gates: two at Whalers Cove, one at Runaway Bay and one at Town Centre.
As the responsible drainage authority, Melbourne Water has the right to close the gates any time at our sole discretion – view predicted gate closures.
Jetty leasing and maintenance
Melbourne Water leases and maintains jetties in the Tidal Waterways – excluding Runaway Bay, Inner Harbour and Pier One. Annual inspections and repairs are performed between March and June.
Mooring leases
Every standard-sized residential property (and some units) in the Tidal Waterways has been allocated a mooring at one of the area’s jetty complexes.
To use your mooring, you must have a current mooring lease agreement with Melbourne Water, which details the size, location and conditions of your mooring. Lessees must also comply with the requirements and procedures contained in the Jetty Guidelines:
Service and maintenance fees
All properties with a mooring allocation will be charged annual service and maintenance costs (per mooring), according to the type of jetty. The charges apply to all Melbourne Water Tidal Waterways jetties that have been replaced, and cover the demolition of the old jetty, construction of a new jetty and ongoing maintenance.
The jetty service charge does not pay for the:
- variable upfront cost of upgrading from a timber to concrete jetty, paid by the resident
- public jetty, which is not part of the jetty replacement program
- dredging of moorings.
Melbourne Water will not be dredging moorings, as the community overwhelmingly voted against a proposed Melbourne Water dredging program in a 2013 community ballot. For information on dredging your own moorings, see Appendix F of the Patterson Lakes Jetty Guidelines (2.31 MB, PDF).
Prices from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027
The Essential Services Commission approved our five year price path in our determination (1 July 2026 to 30 June 2031). The following charges are applied and itemised on your water bill from South East Water, starting 1 July 2026. The maintenance charge is expected to increase by 29.97% (excluding inflation) whereas the timber and concrete jetty charges will decrease by 2.82% (excluding inflation).
| Charge | Cost per annum |
|---|---|
| Properties with access to timber jetty | $922.64 |
| Properties with access to concrete jetty | $852.08 |
| Jetty annual maintenance and renewal charge | $170.24 |
Note: the above charges do not apply to private licensed jetties.
Paying the charges
To make it more affordable, your annual jetty charges has been calculated over a payback period of 15 to 25 years rather than an upfront lump sum payment. Your annual charge will be spread over your quarterly water bills from South East Water.
Residents cannot opt out of the program. Jetty pricing (approved by the Essential Services Commission) is based on costs being shared by the whole mooring community, which residents have bought into.
Quality jetties also support the aesthetics of the area, adding substantial value to properties with mooring allocations.
