- Published:
- Saturday 26 September 2015
The Victorian Government today signed a landmark 'sister park' agreement between Phillip Island Nature Parks and Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Centre.
Touring the Giant Panda Breeding Centre at Chengdu, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and Governor of Sichuan Wei Hong witnessed the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the two conservation centres.
The new relationship between the Phillip Island and Chengdu Parks will enable valuable opportunities for both organisations to share their knowledge and research, as well as staff exchange and development.
The Nature Park and Panda Breeding Centre are recognised leaders in conservation and eco-tourism, and their common goals and values provide the perfect foundation for transnational collaboration. Both organisations are committed to conservation management, world-leading research, and education, to ensure the ongoing survival of a number of species.
Phillip Island Nature Parks hosts more than 1.2 million visitors each year and is one of Australia's leading nature-based ecotourism operators. The Penguin Parade attracts more than 150,000 visitors from China annually, and is the number one attraction in Victoria for Chinese tourists.
The Panda Breeding Centre has a strong history of international cooperation, previously working with zoos and universities in Japan, Spain, France and the US. These relationships have helped to further giant panda breeding, protection, research and education; resulting in 15 giant pandas successfully born in captivity at the centre.
Phillip Island Nature Parks has a similarly successful history of species conservation. Its efforts to protect and enhance the little penguin colony at Phillip Island has seen the population grow from 12,000 breeding birds in 1984 to more than 30,000 in 2015.
Today's agreement builds on a cooperative arrangement made between Victoria and Sichuan Province earlier this year, designed to foster collaboration and friendship.
Joining the Premier at Chengdu today, the Phillip Island Nature Parks Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Jackson announced an exciting world-first interactive Antarctic experience that will open at Phillip Island in December, 2015, in partnership with WWF-Australia. Visitors to the 'Antarctic Journey' at the Nobbies Centre will find themselves completely immersed in a breath-taking and captivating multimedia experience that will put them right at the heart of all the action.
Quotes attributable to Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews
"This is an incredible opportunity for two of the world’s dedicated conservation warriors to come together to share research, experience and facilities for creatures great and small."
"This relationship won’t only facilitate new opportunities for Phillip Island researchers, but it’ll provide another means of promotion to another of Victoria’s world-class nature attractions."
"Adelaide may have Wang Wang and Funi, but we have a parade of penguins and now - their new Giant Panda cousins in Chengdu."