Heading Report on the Economic and Social Contribution of the Zoological Industry in Australia Prepared for the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria Aegis Consulting Australia and Applied Economics March 2009 HeadingContents 1 Copyright © Aegis Consulting Australia & ARAZPA wishes to acknowledge the following organisations that List of tables 2 Applied Economics 2009 funded the production of this report Executive Summary 3 Disclaimer Introduction 6 Aegis Consulting Australia and Applied Economics provide no warranties and 1.1 Purpose and Scope of this Report 6 make no representations in relation to the 1.2 Role of ARAZPA 6 information provided in this paper. They accept no liability for reliance on the Methodology 8 information in this paper by any person or organisation. 2.1 Identifying the Economic and Social Any person or organisation, using the Values to Examine 8 information in this paper does so at its own 2.2 Measuring the Identified Economic risk and agrees to indemnify Aegis Consulting Australia and Applied Economics for any loss and Social Values 8 or damage arising from such use. 2.3 Formal Survey of Zoos 10 ABOUT AEGIS CONSULTING AUSTRALIA 2.4 Consultants Visits to Zoos 12 Aegis Consulting Australia provides business 2.5 Consultations with Independent Experts 14 and government with in depth public policy, economic, political and stakeholder 2.6 Literature Review and Other Data management advice. It operates from Collection 14 Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Sydney. For more information Economic Value of Zoos 15 visit www.aegisconsulting.com.au 3.1 Contribution to Gross Domestic Product 15 or contact: Vish Beri 3.2 Contribution to Employment 18 Director Ph: 02 9660 1706 3.3 Contribution to Tourism 19 Email: [email protected] Value for Consumers 21 ABOUT APPLIED ECONOMICS 4.1 Consumer Profile 22 Applied Economics is a premier economics 4.2 Consumer Satisfaction 23 consulting firm with offices in Sydney and Canberra. It specialises in environment, 4.3 Consumer Payments to Zoos 24 infrastructure, housing, health, welfare and public finance. 4.4 Other Measures of Consumer Value 26 For more information 4.5 Government Financial Support for Zoos 28 visit www.appliedeconomics.net or contact Professor Peter Abelson Value of Conservation Activities 30 Director 5.1 Defining Contributions to Conservation 31 Ph: 02 9290 2498 Email: [email protected] 5.2 The Value of Conservation to Society 32 5.3 Overview of the Contribution of Zoos 34 5.4 Contribution of Zoos to Ex Situ and Acknowledgements In Situ Conservation 36 The consultants would like to extend our Value of Education Activities 49 deep appreciation to the zoos which responded to our survey. We would like to 6.1 The Link Between Education and especially thank zoo staff who the time to Conservation 49 complete detailed responses to the survey and spent time with us during our visits to 6.1.1 The Scale of Education provided zoos. This effort on the part of zoo staff was by Australian Zoos 51 invaluable to the preparation of this report. We would also like to particularly thank the 6.2 Evaluating the Impact of Education 52 national and international experts who took Value of Bio Security Activities 55 the time to answer questions about zoos and meet with us. 7.1 Zoos Role in Bio Security 55 Conclusion 57 Appendices 59 Bibliography 68 2 List of tables Executive SummaryHeading 3 This report was commissioned by the Australasian Regional Table 1.1 Zoological Organisations Economic Value of Zoos in Australia 7 Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria (ARAZPA) Table 2.1 Respondents to Formal Survey 11 to assist it to determine the economic and social value that wildlife parks, zoos and aquariums contribute to Australia. Based on the consultant’s survey, the total estimated Table 2.2 Zoos Visited by the Project The consultants have assessed five main possible values of production by zoos is worth about $424 million per Consultants 12 zoological organisations (zoos). These are: annum. This consists of annual operating expenditure of about $358 million and capital expenditure of about $66 Table 3.1 Gross Output of Zoos, • Economic value, measured in terms of contributions million. Libraries, Museums and the to Gross Domestic Product, employment and tourism Zoos employ about 5300 people, including 3700 full-time Arts in 2001-02 ($m) 16 (production value). employees and 1600 part-time employees. • Value for consumers, measured via visitor survey results, Table 3.2 Expenditure Breakdown International visitors to zoos may create an estimated in Zoos in 1996-97 16 the revenue and financial support provided to zoos and consumer surplus (recreational value). net benefit to the Australian economy of about $58 Table 3.3 Expenditure of Surveyed Zoos million per annum in addition to their payments for in 2006-07 and 2007-08 17 • Value of contribution to conservation, measured by the admissions to zoos. Allowing for a multiplier of up to 2.0, nature and results of in-situ and ex-situ programs and Table 3.4 Paid Employment in this could convert to a total value of about $116 million research. per annum. Selected Cultural Occupations • Value of contribution to education, measured by the in 2006-07 (‘000) 19 nature and results of school, tertiary and visitor education Table 4.1 Australians Over 15 Attending programs and their links to raising conservation Value for Consumers Cultural Venues and Events awareness and motivating behaviour change. In 2005-06, nearly 36 per cent of the population over 15 in 2005-06 22 • Value of contribution to bio-security, measured by the years of age visited a zoo at least once. More Australians Table 4.2 Attendance Rate: No as % role zoos play in protecting Australia’s biodiversity and visits zoos each year than any other form of cultural of Population by Age Group 22 environment and primary production industries. entertainment, apart from movies (65 per cent). Zoos have Table 4.3 Sources of income for zoological The consultant’s assessment of these values is based on: maintained this rate of visitation for over ten years. institutions in 1996-97 24 • Their formal survey of all 107 zoos in Australia, to which It is significant that zoos maintain the second highest level 20 organisations (representing 24 zoos) responded. of annual visitation compared to other cultural activities, Table 4.4 Revenue of surveyed zoos and such as libraries, museums and art galleries, even though aquaria in 2006-07 and 2007-08 25 • Visits they made to 18 zoos (6 of whom did not respond to the survey). zoo visits come at a cost and general admission to libraries, Table 4.5 Non-Corporate Donations 26 • Consultations with the majority of the more than museums and art galleries is generally free. This is a strong Table 4.6 Zoo Supporters/Sponsors 2007-08 35 conservation and 20 education experts that they indicator of the value that consumers attribute to zoos. Aegis Survey Responses 27 contacted to test the value of zoos. There are an estimated 15.4 million visits to zoos per annum, Table 4.7 State Government • Literature and data reviews, including information from which include about 3.3 million visits by international Contributions to Zoos 28 the Australian Bureau of Statistics. tourists and 12.1 million visits by Australian residents. Overall the private sector, including visitors, contributes Table 4.8 Breakdown of Government The 30 zoos participating in the report represent the vast three-quarters of the revenue of zoos. This is an indication Contributions in 2006-07 28 majority of conservation, education, research and other social and economic contributions by the zoo sector. of the minimum level of benefits to consumers. The price Table 4.9 Government Funding of (selected) of admission is one source of this private revenue. The Cultural Institutions 2006-07 29 The zoos responding to the survey and visited by the median price of admission to ARAZPA member zoos is consultants reflected a wide cross section of large, medium, about $24 per adult and $12 per child. Table 5.1 Australian Zoos Delivery of small, government, private, not for profit, urban and the CBD Conservation Goals 37 regional zoos in each State and Territory of Australia. Consumer surveys indicate that the benefits to consumers are typically greater than their payments for admissions. Table 6.1 Australian Zoos Delivery of Overall, in preparing this report, the consultants gathered Many consumers have consumer surpluses. However, the European Zoo Education data and information from a total of 30 zoos (28 per cent consultants do not have data on the possible magnitudes Standards 50 of all 107 zoos) of which 22 are ARAZPA members (56 per for such surpluses. cent of institutional members) and 8 are non members. Table 6.2 Number of Students Attending State governments contribute about a quarter of the Education Classes at revenue of zoos. On a per capita basis their contribution Australian Zoos 51 is only $2.92 across Australia or $4 per visitor. Between 2006 and 2008 the Commonwealth government allocated only $1.1 million to three zoos (two of which are State government owned zoos). These contributions are very low compared to government subsidies provided to other less popular cultural activities, such as libraries, museums and art galleries. 4 Executive Summary 5 Analysis of general surveys conducted by zoos show a The general value to Australian society of zoos in situ and • In 2007/08 12 zoos contributed 37 in situ programs particularly high level of consumer satisfaction with zoo ex situ native species conservation is particularly significant for the conservation of 20 exotic species. Of these 35 education. These surveys suggest that learning about the because according to the Australian Government, 93 programs are habitat and species management programs animals themselves has overtaken the pure novelty or per cent of frogs, 89 per cent of reptiles, 85 per cent and 2 are recovery and reintroduction programs.