Australia's iconic penguin-parade tourist attraction set for major upgrade

Australia's iconic Phillip Island Penguin Parade, one of the nation's leading tourist attractions, is set for a 40-million-U.S.-dollar facelift when the Victorian government unveils its state budget next week.

Most of the money will go toward a major upgrade of the visitor center, while the rest has been put aside for the restoration and preservation of the penguin's eight-hectare beach sanctuary.

The penguin parade, which happens every night at sunset as the flightless birds return to shore, pulls in 600,000 international and domestic tourists each year.

The Victorian government believes the new funding regime can help the nightly penguin parade, which takes place 90 minutes outside of the state capital of Melbourne, boost its annual visitor numbers by 20 percent over the next decade.

Victoria's Environment Minister Lisa Neville said investing in the parade made both economic and environmental sense.

"Anyone who has visited the Penguin Parade knows just how special this natural spectacle is. It's only right that they have the facilities to match," Neville said in a press release on Thursday.

"Tourists to Phillip Island directly fund world class conservation research. Today's announcement will ensure that the longest continuous seabird study in the world can keep doing its vital work."

Under the plan, briefly detailed by the state government on Thursday, the "outdated" 1988 visitors' center will be moved to give the 30-centimeter birds a chance to set up a new breeding ground in the vacated area.

By 2019, it is expected that a larger, more environmentally-friendly facility will be erected further down the beach closer to the fairy penguins' sand-dune burrows.

Phillip Island Nature Parks, the operators of the penguin parade, will also contribute around eight million U.S. dollars as part of the redevelopment.

The government will outline full details of the policy next Wednesday, when the state budget is revealed. Endit