Accessible beaches

City of Port Phillip has a world-renowned foreshore along Port Phillip Bay. An accessible pathway, shared between pedestrians and bike users extends the length of this foreshore. Find out more about the accessibility along our foreshore.

Accessible Floating Beach Wheelchairs

Book a Mobi-Chair

Accessible Floating Beach Wheelchairs, otherwise known as the Mobi-Chair, enable you to hit the sand and take a dip in the ocean. These specialty chairs are designed for outdoor use and specifically for beach environments.

Person with a disability in a beach wheelchair accompanied by life saver

Locations:

  • St Kilda Life Saving Club
  • Port Melbourne Life Saving Club

Make a Booking
Terms and conditions

The Accessible Floating Beach Wheelchair, the Mobi-chair, is available for hire for the summer season 2022-2023 at St Kilda and Port Melbourne Life Saving Club. Full details on how to book are below. Please remember that:

  • All bookings are for 1.5 hours, free and require a booking
  • Beach wheelchairs cannot be independently pushed so users may need to bring someone to assist with transfers
  • If you are hiring a Mobi-Chair and would like to enter deep water, you must have a minimum of two support people
  • The Changing Places at St Kilda Life Saving Club has an electrical hoist to assist with the transfer in and out of the Mobi-Chair
  • Accessible beach matting is on the sand in front of both lifesaving clubs from 27 October 2022 - 28 April 2023 and does not need to be booked

Accessible Beach Matting

Implementation of the Accessible Beaches Program is underway with the Accessible Beach Matting being rolled out on Thursday 27 October in preparation for Cup Day weekend. The matting will be installed at St Kilda Life Saving Club and Port Melbourne Life Saving Club and is free to use for all members of the community with no booking required.

The matting is designed to assist people with mobility issues to access the beach, servicing a diverse range of the community such as people using wheelchairs, people using walking frames and parents with prams.

The Accessible Floating Beach Wheelchair, the Mobi-Chair, is part of the Accessible Beaches Program and will be open for bookings when the Lifeguard patrol season commences in mid-November. The Accessible Beach Matting is designed to ease the use of the Mobi-Chair to reach the water’s edge where users can enjoy the floating function of the chair and enter the water.

This is a free service provided by Council; however, bookings are required for use. Bookings will soon be available via the Council website.

The Accessible Beach program will conclude on Friday 28 April 2023 following ANZAC Day weekend.

Accessible Beach Matting, QLD

Changing Places

The St Kilda Life Saving Club includes a Victorian Government funded Changing Places facility for improved disability access. These facilities have larger-than-standard accessible toilets and extra features, along with more space to meet the requirements of people with disability.

The facility has a height-adjustable, adult-sized changing bench, a tracking hoist system, and space for two people in a safe and clean environment. The doorway width for this facility is 1000mm. Hoist users must bring their own sling. For further information on Changing Places please visit the Changing Places website.

To access the Changing Places facility, an individual or carer must have a Master Locksmiths Access Key (MLAK). This is an innovative system that enables people with disability to gain 24-hour access, seven days a week to the facility. Eligibility to use this facility is restricted to people with disability who must have written authority from a doctor, a disability organisation or a community health centre.

People with disability are able to purchase an MLAK from a Master Locksmith. Use the search by suburb or postcode function on the Master Locksmiths Association website to find your closest locksmith that can provide an MLAK.

Public transport

Public transport connections and accessible tram stops are available along the foreshore. Only tram routes 16, 96 and 109 are partly serviced by low floor trams.

Full tram and bus timetables can be accessed at Public Transport Victoria.

For more information on Getting Around.

Public toilets

All Port Phillip public toilets are opened and closed by Council Security Staff on a daily basis. Toilets will be opened at dawn and locked at dusk, on a seasonal basis.

There are three EXELOO toilets in Port Phillip, these are located on Kerferd Road (Albert Park), Shakespeare Grove (St Kilda) and Eastern Road (South Melbourne). These toilets are maintained by an external company, and are closed at approximately 10 pm during summer.

To locate a toilet, visit the National Public Toilet Map.

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