New boardwalk for Penguin Island tourists

Environment Minister Donna Faragher today opened a new $305,000 boardwalk on Penguin Island Conservation Park in the Shoalwater Islands Marine Park south of Perth.

The new boardwalk is designed to reconnect visitors to the island's southern lookout and to allow east-west pedestrian access on the southern end of the island.  It also improves safety for visitors and provides better protection of the island from erosion and for nesting bird populations, including penguins, pelicans and terns. 

Mrs Faragher said Penguin Island was home to a diverse array of wildlife and boasted breathtaking marine and coastal scenery, supporting the largest colony of little penguins on the west coast of Australia.

"Penguin Island is one of the State's premier ecologically sustainable nature-based tourism destinations, attracting many thousands of people who made more than 90,000 visits to the island during the last tourist season," she said.

The Minister said construction was carried out in two phases to minimise disturbance to nesting pelicans and terns.

"The boardwalk follows some of the previous walk trail alignment to reduce disturbance of vegetation, but also has been realigned in areas to avoid dune blowouts, to fit in more aesthetically with the natural environment and to provide the easiest access for visitors of all abilities," she said.

"Through projects such as this, the State Government is demonstrating its continued commitment to providing a positive experience for people to enjoy our world-class parks system."