Thursday, 27 August 2026

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for Environment, Minister for Climate Action, Minister for the State Electricity Commission) (12:08): I would like to update the house on my recent visit to Phillip Island on Sunday to see how Victoria is leading the charge in our world-first program to vaccinate little penguins against H5 bird flu. Phillip Island and St Kilda are home to two of the world’s most significant little penguin colonies, with over 30,000 birds between them. A major outbreak of H5 could, sadly, result in a substantial number of deaths in those colonies, which is why it is so important and so exciting that we are running the largest vaccination program ever undertaken for a wild bird population in the world. Vaccinations of course will not stop H5 from circulating, but they can help reduce its impact.

The program requires each penguin to be corralled, then caught, weighed, vaccinated and microchipped and then recaptured three to four weeks later for a second dose. It is meticulous, hands-on work, with doses administered every night by wildlife officers and Phillip Island Nature Parks staff taking advantage of the penguins’ habit of returning to the same burrow each evening. It is certainly not without its challenges. They are loud; they can be quite feisty. It was fascinating to watch. I spoke to staff that have got injuries on their hands from being pecked. So it is a battle, but everyone that is involved in the program is really proud to be doing so.

I am pleased to inform the house that over 1500 little penguins have now received their first dose since we commenced the program just last week. This delicate and unprecedented undertaking reflects the seriousness with which the government treats the protection of our unique wildlife, and we want to continue to act decisively to protect critical and unique wildlife such as our little penguins.