Little penguins on WA island will be pushed to ‘breaking point’ by construction of new centre, expert says

Plans to build a $3.3m "discovery centre" on Penguin Island in Western Australia will push the threatened bird colony to breaking point, conservationists say.

The state's new environment minister, Reece Whitby, unveiled a concept design on Tuesday, which would see the existing centre on the island demolished and a new one built 50 metres away.

Construction would take place over two months in summer 2023. The design for the new centre would include a raised deck to allow penguins to nest below and may include a sprinkler system to help the birds cool down during heatwaves.

"The new centre will enable the island and the City of Rockingham to better care for the little penguin residents while safely welcoming human visitors," Whitby said.

"The penguins are facing a number of critical and linked challenges - climate change, marine heatwaves and a scarcity of food - and I want to make sure we are doing everything possible to support the local population."But conservationists said the plans are a distraction and the best solution would be to "leave the island alone".

The little penguin population on Penguin Island is suffering from declining population numbers and a horror breeding season, where half the chicks born in 2021 died, equating to roughly 10% of its overall population.

The island's colony is the second northernmost population to be found in Australia and is thought to be genetically distinct - though scientific testing to confirm this has not yet been carried out.