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We asked for a 'management plan' and the government have responded by offering up a 'new building' which will make the problems even worse.

A few weeks ago, WA environment minister Reece Whitby announced in the local media that a new Penguin Discovery Centre would be built on Penguin Island just off the coast of Rockingham, near Perth.

The announcement came out of the blue for our concerned community of little penguin lovers who are worried the new centre could be the nail in the coffin for this already devastated colony.

The plan to construct the centre on the island has not been undertaken with the advice of scientists or other stakeholders external to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), which manages the island.

While the climate crisis is a factor in the decline of little penguins on Penguin Island, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests tourism is having a major impact. Reduced breeding success appears to be linked to human disturbances according to preliminary data from Penguin Island.

The best solution for the penguins and for the community is to build the Penguin Discovery centre on the mainland, featuring rescued penguins among a broader suite of experiences. The island is better suited to a smaller research and rehabilitation facility.

Locating the Discovery Centre on the mainland is the solution that has the backing of scientists, the backing of the main tourism operator, and the backing of the local community here in Rockingham.

A state-of-the-art discovery centre on the mainland would be a wonderful tourism attraction for our City and would, alongside the other conservation solutions currently being formulated, give the penguin colony on the island some much needed breathing space.