Question On Notice No. 616 asked in the Legislative Council on 15 March 2022 by Hon Dr Brad Pettitt
Question Directed to the: Minister for Emergency Services representing the Minister for Environment
Parliament: 41 Session: 1
Question
I refer to the little penguin population of Penguin Island, which has dwindled by over 80 percent in 15 years to comprise of fewer than 300 little penguins, and the proposed $3 million Penguin Island discovery centre announced by the Minister in February 2022. The impacts of tourism are a key factor in the decline in little penguin numbers on Penguin Island, with approximately 80% of the population exposed to tourism visits for at least seven hours a day. I ask the Minister:
(a) what impact is the proposed discovery centre expected to have on Penguin Island tourist visit numbers;
(b) if the new discovery centre is expected to result in increased tourist visits:
(i) has the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) modelled the impacts of increased tourism on the little penguin population;
(ii) if yes to (i), will the Minister table this modelling;
(iii) if no to (i), why not;
(iv) has the DBCA consulted with local penguin scientists as to how to best mitigate the impacts of increased tourist visits; and
(v) if no to (iv), why not;
(c) has the DBCA modelled the impacts the construction of the proposed discovery centre will have on the little penguin population;
(d) if yes to (c), will the Minister table that modelling;
(e) have the experiences of little penguin nesting areas in other jurisdictions been used to inform this proposal;
(f) if yes to (e):
(i) where are those colonies located and why were they selected;
(ii) what are the population sizes of those colonies; and
(iii) what percentage of those colonies populations are exposed to tourism visits and for how many hours a day;
(g) has the business analyst report prepared by TRC Tourism Pty Ltd for the Department of Parks and Wildlife in 2016 been used to guide decision making in selecting the location of this tourism centre;
(h) if yes to (g), how does the proposal address the relevant environmental concerns identified by the report;
(i) if no to (g), why not;
(j) were alternative sites for a discovery centre considered by DBCA;
(k) if yes to (j), what sites; and
(l) what was the rationale for picking the proposed site for the discovery centre?
Answered on 11 May 2022
(a)-(l)
Penguin Island is a popular recreation location, recently attracting up to 130,000 visitors each year. The existing Penguin Island Discovery Centre is at the end of its life and needs to be dismantled.
Whilst there is an ongoing need to maintain a management presence on Penguin Island and in the surrounding marine park, there is active and ongoing consideration on what and where new infrastructure will be progressed and how best to manage activities including visitation.
Included in this consideration is the views and experiences of scientists, the experience from Phillip Island, and the report prepared by TRC Tourism Pty Ltd in 2016.
The health and welfare of Penguin Island’s resident little penguins is an overriding priority and will continue to be carefully considered. Every effort is and will be made to minimise the disturbance to little penguins and their habitat.
While the declining little penguin population on Penguin Island is a concern, this is not confined to Western Australia, as other wildlife managers in Australia and overseas are also experiencing similar conditions. Local research has identified one of the main reasons for population decline has been warmer seawater temperatures affecting the availability of food sources such as whitebait.
The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions continues to work with local researchers regarding ongoing research about little penguins and additional options that can be considered for implementation on Penguin Island as part of managing the resident little penguin population.