Soon. The first developments will kickstart before the end of the year.

This will be the project to create a new heart of the Zoo with a brand visitor café and alfresco area and separate function centre.

We’re also currently expanding the overhead tunnel network for the animals. The squirrel monkeys have tested this for us and we’re now rolling this out with other animals in the primate trail.

All up, over 20-years it will cost approximately $234 million, $120 million in the first ten years.

It might sound like a lot, but let’s put that in perspective.

Perth Zoo is loved and visited by more than 720,000 people every year. It is an important community asset and visitation is growing as people seek outdoor and nature-based experiences.

Our Zoo is at the forefront of caring for and safeguarding a future for some of the rarest animals on the planet and an investment of $120 million over the next ten years will ensure we remain at the top of our game, future proofing this important community asset.

The master plan will be realised through government funding, together with private and philanthropic investment or donations.

To kickstart the development, the State Government has invested $13.5 million to build new café and new function facilities and a further $30 million to progress the first major builds.

We want these funds to be used to create partnerships with the philanthropic and corporate sectors to join us on creating the new zoo elements discussed today.

Part of developing the master plan included the development of a fundraising strategy which the Zoo will be rolling out soon. Staged sections of development will be realised through Perth Zoo's capital budget, together with private sector investment and fundraising.

The Zoo has been the beneficiary of a great deal of generosity by Western Australians in the past and we know it holds a special place in people’s hearts. We would love for that support to continue, along with contributions by the State Government.

This is the community’s zoo and I encourage the community to support their Zoo.

The master plan design process was led by HASSELL and Iredale Pederson Hook following a competitive tender process.

Iph has worked with Perth Zoo on previous developments including the Australian Bushwalk and most recently the African Lion exhibit.

HASSELL is a leading international design practice with studios in Australia, China, South East Asia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Some of HASSELL’s projects include design of the New Museum for WA; the Optus Stadium design; design of Adelaide Zoo’s entrance precinct, Giant Panda Forest and South East Asian Rainforest precinct as well as master planning for the Zoo’s Stage II; Asian forest and elephant exhibit planning and design at Taronga Zoo; and Werribee Open Range Zoo design projects.

Initial concepts were released as part of the Zoo’s 120th birthday celebrations in 2018.

At the time the WA community were asked for feedback which could be submitted via the Zoo’s website to help shape the future of Perth Zoo and inform the master plan.

Last year, a round of research focus groups were held with the public to test key elements of the master plan. This involved people who visit the Zoo and those who don’t. People with families as well as those without children. It involved a broad cross section of the community.

That’s probably a question for the Zoo experts. However, our zoo is a living site that continually changes. The Zoo team are looking at what new species would best suit our site in the future.

Choosing what specific animals we have on our site is a very scientific business. Many of our species are at Perth Zoo as part of collective regional or global efforts to conserve them. We also must work within the constraints of not only the physical footprint of our site, with Perth Zoo one of the smallest Australian city zoos, but also animals that are available to us from other regional or international zoos or which are able to be imported under existing Australian import restrictions.

We also need to take into consideration which animals are suitable for Perth’s hot, dry climatic conditions.

As announced a few years ago, once Tricia passes, we will be bidding farewell to elephants on this site.

This is the correct thing to do for the species within a city zoo context.

Gone are the days, like in Tricia’s era, when it was appropriate to acquire another individual animal as a replacement. Today, good modern zoos try to replicate a species’ natural living and social conditions. For female elephants this is within matriarchal societies comprising of mothers, aunties and calves. Males tend to be more solitary, but can live in bachelor herds and benefit from being near ovulating females.

Perth Zoo is a small zoo within metropolitan South Perth. We are committed to providing the best for the animals in our care and on this site we cannot develop an elephant exhibit big enough to accommodate a functioning herd comprising of multiple individuals.

You can donate to your future zoo here.

An open range zoo is currently not on the agenda. Our focus is to ensure that our urban zoo continues to provide a world-class experience for the people of Western Australia and visitors.

Our Zoo is an urban oasis playing an important education role and place for many of us to escape and reconnect to nature. This has become even more important over the past year.

Green space within suburbia is important and our zoo is central that.