Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Zoos Victoria

Report 2023–24

Sonja TERPSTRA (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (17:41): I rise to speak on the annual report of Zoos Victoria for the 2023–24 financial year and to commend the remarkable work being done in conservation, wildlife rescue and breeding programs across Victoria, supported by the Allan Labor government’s investment in conservation. At the heart, Zoos Victoria is not just a destination, it also does important conservation work that helps to fight extinction and to create a future rich in wildlife. This is not abstract work, it is about ensuring species that have lived on our continent for tens of thousands of years will continue to survive and not vanish forever.

Over the period of this report we saw landmark achievements in conservation and breeding. At Healesville Sanctuary, the lowland Leadbeater’s possum was bred in captivity for the very first time. This is proof that science and persistence can actually defy the odds. The Guthega skink program recorded its most successful breeding season on record, including a record-breaking litter size, and for the first time, males from Victoria bred successfully with females from New South Wales, which is an important step in genetic rescue. After nearly 50 years of absence, 28 endangered Pookilas were reintroduced to the Cranbourne botanic gardens. These are victories not only for endangered species but for conservationists and the whole Victorian community, because this reminds us that extinction is not inevitable when government, science and communities take action and stand together. The rediscovery of the Victorian grassland earless dragon, thought lost for more than 50 years, was another triumph of persistence. Thirty-two individuals are now part of a conservation breeding program at Melbourne Zoo, with 49 offspring already reaching subadulthood. This is a further demonstration of how endangered species can recover with science, patience and public support.

Wildlife rescue has also taken a leap forward, with more than 2000 native animals treated this year across Zoos Victoria’s hospitals. The marine response unit, the only dedicated service of its kind in our state, responded to over 1000 cases of distressed or entangled marine life, from fur seals to turtles, seabirds and dolphins. The RSPCA koala ward at Werribee Open Range Zoo treated more than 1200 koalas and other native animals in its first year of operation – the biggest year on record. These outcomes were made possible because our government chose to invest, in the wake of the Black Summer bushfires, in modern animal hospitals and wildlife rehabilitation centres and in creating a world-class raptor rehabilitation centre at Healesville Sanctuary, which is now the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. When governments act decisively, animals get a second chance.

One of the most significant undertakings this year is the relocation of the Asian elephant herd from Melbourne Zoo to Werribee. Thanks to the Victorian government’s $88 million investment in the largest capital project in Zoos Victoria’s history, we have created a 21-hectare elephant trail, a space designed with animal welfare at its very core. All nine elephants, including three calves, are preparing for the journey, trained through positive methods that respect their welfare and dignity. It is not just a move, it is a statement about what kind of society we want: one that values and respects nature and carries that responsibility for future generations.

Our investment is not just in animals but, obviously, in people and community. Zoos Victoria welcomed a record 2.8 million visitors this year and has 359,000 members – one of the largest zoo memberships in the world. These are families, students and visitors who are learning that conservation is not distant, it is part of their daily lives and something they engage in actively. Through programs like Totes for Wildlife, Coffee for Wildlife and the Fighting Extinction schools initiative, the public and children are being empowered to learn and to lead, and this is how we grow the next generation of conservationists. Zoos Victoria’s work is proof that when government, science and the community come together, extinction can indeed be fought and species can be saved. The Allan Labor government is proud to back that mission and proud to ensure that Victoria continues to lead the nation in wildlife conservation. I commend this report to the house.