A lively crowd of over 150 people attended Rockingham's Rally for our Environment on Sunday 9 February calling on the State Government to take action to bring Little Penguins on Penguin Island back from the brink of extinction.

The rally was led by Save Rockingham’s Little Penguins convenor and local councillor Dawn Jecks.

The following blog post was submitted by Dawn Jecks, and outlines her views and perspectives presented at the rally.

Little penguins are on the brink of extinction in Rockingham waters, and other habitats and species are currently under threat – our community will not stand by and watch this happen.

The state government is not doing enough to protect and conserve our incredible local environment.

We need:

• Updating of expired management plans. 
• Funding to enforce marine park rules and stop the penguin-killing hooning.
• A plan to bring penguins back from the brink of extinction that is actually executed
• Rejection of plans to create a nuclear waste dump on nearby Garden Island.

There are just 114 little penguins remaining on Penguin Island, according to the population estimate that was published last year.

That is a 94% decline between 2007 and 2023, due to factors including climate change, boat collisions and tourism impacts.

Are our penguins going to make it through another year of the island being overrun with tourists and irresponsible recreational activities, as the threat of climate change impacts them further?

THE ENVIRONMENT MINISTER

The WA Environment Minister continues to deny there is even a problem and recently stated on ABC news report that sustainable tourism has been occurring on Penguin Island for decades.

Minister Whitby claims that a 94% decline in Penguin Island colony since 2007 is 'sustainable tourism'.

Minister Whitby then claims the decline is all due to climate change, but in the next breath the Minister gives the big tick to expansion of the Burrup Hub, extending the project to 2070.

Locking in over 6 billion tonnes of climate pollution. That is nearly 14 times Australia’s annual emissions. This will be a disastrous outcome for our penguins and the planet.

Minister Whitby simply can’t have it both ways.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

When it comes to penguins, what does 'sustainable tourism' look like?

It looks like Philip Island, Victoria, where their State Government made a political decision to protect and conserve the penguin colony there.

And is now home to a thriving tourism destination and home to the world-famous Penguin Parade.

What are we getting in Rockingham? What are we getting under the current business as usual arrangements?

A 94% decline since 2007 and now only 114 penguins left.

LOCAL COMMUNITY

Here in Rockingham, it’s the community volunteers and Not for Profits who are doing the heavy lifting to help the penguins.

Palm Beach Rotary built the new nesting boxes.

The State Government is not ‘delivering’ on penguins.

That’s complete rubbish and disappointingly dishonest in fact.

Our community is fed up with being brushed off with piecemeal and unfunded plans when there’s an election around the corner.

Why can’t we have our own Phillip Island style tourism experience here? Smart and sustainable tourism where the population is thriving and their local tourism economy too.

Lack of political will, that’s what’s missing here in WA.

Our local Penguin Island colony will not survive under the current business as usual.

We have out of date and no longer fit for purpose management plans. No Funding to enforce marine park rules and stop the penguin-killing hooning.

Studies show that watercraft injury accounts for 25% of penguin deaths.

NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP

Penguin nesting sites are on Garden Island, right where they want to do major infrastructure works for US nuke subs.

As to the claim that the waste that will be stored is akin to hospital grade gowns and gloves type waste.

It’s not that simple. Yes, some of it will be hospital grade BUT there will also be other waste. Cooling liquid and flecks of material from the moving parts of nuclear reactor.

There will be a mixed bag of radioisotopes that will take up to 300 years to decay and become stable.

Just one minor spill, no matter how small, would-be a disaster for our local marine environment and tourism economy. But no one is talking about that...