Peter Gutwein,Minister for Environment, Parks and Heritage
Tasmania’s Orange-bellied parrot captive breeding program plays a vitally important role in protecting and growing the population of this critically endangered species.
Growing the number of breeding pairs is crucial to the future of this special species. The opening of the Government’s new $2.5 million breeding facility at Five Mile Beach will double the number of breeding pairs and increase the number of fledglings that will boost the captive breeding population, and allow more birds to be released to augment the wild population.
The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to protecting this bird as part of our broader, proactive approach to protecting our unique wildlife.
While there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure the survival of the parrot, our efforts are delivering, with a total of 20 Orange-bellied parrots returning to breed at Melaleuca this season.
The new facility was funded through the divestment of the Taroona captive breeding site. It will have four breeding aviaries, five holding aviaries, several quarantine aviaries, a fit-for-purpose vet facility and an OBP food preparation kitchen.
