Potential new Zoo on Phillip Island

Astrobird said:
Josh Cox on LinkedIn: #reptileencounters #phillipisland #tourisminfrastructure… | 44 comments
Josh Cox, owner of Reptile Encounters has received a grant from the Enabling Tourism Fund 2024 to start the master planning and feasibility of an ambitious new project—a state-of-the-art zoo on Phillip Island focused on Reptiles and Marine life.
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Sounds really exciting! Can't wait to see how this turns out.

The Marine Life part of the project excites me the most considering there's really only Melbourne Aquarium in Victoria. Hopefully they can showcase some of the regions most intriguing marine life.
 
Astrobird said:
LinkedIn Login, Sign in | LinkedIn or Survey gauging support for new zoo - The Phillip Island and San Remo Advertiser (this is behind a paywall)
This article sounds exciting - says they're looking for a 100 acre site, and plan to have "both native and exotic animals, even giraffes" IMO he would probably have more success in taking over the existing wildlife park and redevelop it to his vision.
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Very interesting news - and I absolutely do agree with Mr Cox. There is a huge gap in the market out East; which to be fair has the largest population in Melbourne out of all sub regions. Realistically they only have Gumbaya World, but since it also operates as a mini theme park, it doesn't really serve as your usual 'wildlife' facility.

Following covid, the state government is really pushing for a rise in tourism again - especially to regions like the Phillip Island area where tourism has dropped off. I'm not surprised to see they're willing to splash that amount of money on a new zoo that has the potential to become a really good regional zoo with a relatively open market.
 
Has it been specified how much the funding is?

I often visit the Phillip Island Wildlife Park, and it is need of a renovation. Possibly not 100 acres though and the council may class it as being an animal zone due to the native animal that also call it home.
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
Has it been specified how much the funding is?

I often visit the Phillip Island Wildlife Park, and it is need of a renovation. Possibly not 100 acres though and the council may class it as being an animal zone due to the native animal that also call it home.
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It's not going to be Phillip Island Wildlife Park. It will be a completely new zoo.

Over $50 Million was referenced as to the funding. Which is a decent amount to start up a regional facility. For instance, Sydney Zoo was roughly built on a similar size of funding.
 
@Jambo

I wasn’t suggesting that it would be the wildlife park, however a redevelopment of this facility and expansion could have been an option

either way, it would be create to see a new wildlife park in the region Apart from Melbourne there is no real zoo serving this area
 
There’s a fair distance between a suburban mobile reptile exhibitor getting a $100k grant and a $50 million zoo on a 100 acre plot that would itself cost in the high millions.

Time will tell, but I suspect the real, much less fanciful goal here is to acquire Phillip Island Wildlife Park, which I think has lots of future potential (and would be a dream purchase for me, sadly).
 
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