00:00It's a marine hub filled with creatures big and small, but Penguin Island off Rockingham
00:11has been the centre of heated debate between tourism operators, the state government and
00:16conservationists for years.
00:18The little penguin population here has dwindled to just 114, a 94% decline since 2007.
00:28Tourism operators believe a new Discovery Centre with a viewing on the mainland would
00:35balance conservation and tourist demand.
00:38Because otherwise people will take animals and they will start touching animals and they
00:42won't do it in the right respected way.
00:44Back in 2022 a McGowan Labor Government committed over $3 million to building a Discovery Centre
00:50here on the island, but after community backlash over environmental concerns that plan was
00:55scrapped and it was decided to build one on the mainland instead.
00:59It's been three years and that centre is still in the planning phase.
01:03In a statement the government says the development of a business case will inform future government
01:08direction for the project.
01:10We need to make sure that we don't have open slather, but you know we've had sustainable
01:16tourism on Penguin Island for decades and decades.
01:20But activists say more needs to be done now, calling for the island to be closed for a
01:24couple of years to allow the population to recover.
01:28They spruik a lot, education etc, well gee that's all very well and good to hear, but
01:37the elephant in the room is those creatures are being hounded.
01:43A new independent advisory body will meet for the first time in January to consider
01:48WA's Penguin Conservation Plan.
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