Your next trip to one of Melbourne's major zoos just got a little greener. Zoos Victoria has announced that all three of its Melbourne zoos – Melbourne Zoo, Werribee Open Range Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary – are now powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.
The move makes Zoos Victoria sites the first zoos in mainland Australia to be powered by completely renewable energy. It's another green first for the zoos following their independent certification as the world's first carbon-neutral zoo in 2013.
Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo are powered entirely by GreenPower (a government accredited renewable energy provider) while Healesville Sanctuary sources its power from Crowlands Wind Farm near Ararat. The zoos also have 675 kilowatts of on-site solar power across their venues, an on-site water recycling plant and have diverted 89 per cent of waste from landfill in 2020-2021.
CEO for Zoos Victoria, Dr Jenny Gray, said: "Our purpose as a zoo-based conservation organisation is to ensure a future rich in wildlife. It is our duty to combat climate change by taking accountability for our own energy consumption and embracing renewable energy."