It’s been a long time since we’ve seen premier Dan Andrews out in Melbourne, as opposed to being behind the lectern at the daily press conference briefing. Today, Andrews stood in front of Werribee Zoo’s lion enclosure to announce an $84 million upgrade to the suburban zoo coming in the state’s budget.
Animal welfare and local tourism were named as some of the reasons behind the funding boost, as it’s expected to turn Werribee Zoo into a “world-class experience”.
The brand-new 1.6km tree top sky safari gondola will have a 360-degree view of the CBD and over towards You Yangs Regional Park as well as a bird’s eye view over the zoo enclosures.
The announcement also included news about the Asian elephants currently residing at Melbourne Zoo. These elephants, which currently live within a two-hectare space in the CBD, will be relocated to Werribee and will get over 22 hectares of space to roam around. The upgrade will also include a new specially designed site for rhinos and bison, as well as a brand-new waterhole precinct.
Work on the upgrade is expected to start within weeks.