Australia Zoo -Terri squandering donations and fund money

Australia Zoo squandering millions while conservation issues becoming less concerning (inc.Traveston Dam)
Frontapage Sunshine Coast Daily 1st March 2008

Terri Irwin's private property fortune
12:00a.m. 1 March 2008
| By Carolyn Tucker

Australia Zoo refuses to release Bob Irwin's 'real' statement

Terri Irwin has built a $26 million property empire – all held solely in her own name – while Australia Zoo rakes in millions from grants and donations.

This includes a $6 million property paid for by the former federal government last year, which is now held by Mrs Irwin’s private company.

A two-week investigation by the Daily into the Irwins’ private holdings and Australia Zoo has revealed:

• The former federal government announced it would provide $6 million to help the Irwins purchase a property they had bought three months earlier.

• The state government will build a railway station at Australia Zoo as part of the new CAMCOS rail line servicing the Sunshine Coast and agreed to a land swap to assist the zoo’s plans for expansion.

• Disney Communications Incorporated established an international fund following Steve Irwin’s death to “provide support to Steve’s Australia Zoo in Beerwah, as well as educational support for his children, Bindi and Bob Irwin”.

• Mrs Irwin has outlaid $9.5 million on real estate since January 2007.

Mrs Irwin’s company, Rosette properties Pty Ltd, of which she is sole shareholder, spent $1.3 million last year to purchase the home adjacent to the $3.2 million home she and Steve bought in 2004.

Another of her companies, Silverback Properties Pty Ltd, has outlaid more than $20 million for real estate around Australia Zoo, in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, at St George, Emu Creek and in Far North Queensland.

Revelations of the extent of the empire built off the back of Steve Irwin’s conservation efforts comes as rumours persist about the fractured relationship between zoo patriarch Bob Irwin and the new management structure formed after his son’s death.

Bob Irwin has been out of contact since suggestions surfaced about a family falling-out at the world-renowned tourist attraction, and the Daily has learned he purchased a property near Kingaroy last week.

Family spokesman John Stainton said the Daily had no prospect of securing an interview with Mrs Irwin and the zoo has refused to comment on the matter to date.

Volunteers and former staff claim Bob Irwin and his daughter-in-law had a difference of opinion about the direction of the zoo, and there was growing disquiet about the emphasis on commercialisation and activities seemingly unrelated to conservation.

“There are people at the zoo who think that Steve’s commitment to animal research and conservation isn’t being maintained,” one volunteer said.

“Bob is angry that the zoo is being turned into a circus and the focus on animal conservation and education is being lost,” was how another source summed it up.

Steve Irwin rocketed to super-star status due to the success of his United States Disney Channel series.

Steve’s movie, Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, alone took more than $43 million at the box office, while his enormously popular television series had an audience of half-a-billion viewers worldwide.

Before his movie was released, Steve pledged to pour every cent back into conservation.

“To say that I’ve got millions in the bank, mate, would be a load of crap,” he was once quoted as saying.

“Of course, I’ve made money, but it’s all gone back into wildlife welfare. I don’t keep it.

“My heart beats for wildlife and wilderness conservation; it’s my mission in life.”

In the immediate aftermath of Steve’s death in September 2006, Discovery Communications Inc announced it would establish The Crikey Fund, which was expected “to provide a way for people from across the globe to make contributions in Steve’s honour to support wildlife protection, education and conservation”.

“The fund will provide support to Steve’s Australia Zoo in Beerwah, Australia, as well as educational support for his children, Bindi and Bob Irwin,” the company said in a statement.

However, questions are now being asked about the continued generosity flowing to the zoo, in the form of donations, government grants and work performed by volunteers, despite it being a private company enjoying extraordinary financial success.

A $100 million expansion of the zoo is on the drawing board, which will see it balloon to a massive 400 hectares.

It include a new south-east Asian attraction and an African wildlife safari park built on adjoining land, plus eco-lodges and a hotel with restaurants and conference facilities.

The park will also have its own railway station as part of the state government’s new CAMCOS rail line.

Last year, the zoo’s expansion plans were given a boost when the state government agreed to excise about 35 hectares of Beerwah State Forest and turn it over to the zoo as part of a land swap.

The former federal government was also a supporter, chipping in $2.5 million for an expansion of the wildlife hospital due to be completed in April.

In July, the federal government announced it would provide $6 million through its National Reserve System Program to enable the purchase of the 135,000-hectare Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve north-east of Weipa.

Mrs Irwin described the announcement as a “magnificent gesture” by the Australian government.

She said this would “allow us to actively manage this land for conservation and research, as a perpetual memorial to Steve’s work”.

Mrs Irwin said a scientific research centre would be built “to help people learn more about this bit of country”.

“We are proud to accept the responsibilities that come with managing this reserve for the benefit of all Australians, and are eternally thankful that Steve’s work will live on through this reserve,” she said.

“I also wish to acknowledge the support and assistance we have received from the Queensland government in securing the tenure for this project.”

Property searches indicate the land was purchased by Silverback Properties Pty Ltd (owned by Mrs Irwin), for $6 million in April 2007 and is still owned by the company.

The Irwin brand has become synonymous with conservation, and Wildlife Warriors, the charity organisation founded by Steve and Terri Irwin, is involved with projects and a range of partnerships in Australia, Asia and Africa.

But some environmental groups are asking why the Irwins, the zoo and Wildlife Warriors have chosen to remain silent on some key issues in their own backyard.

Late last year, the Australian Freshwater Turtle Conservation and Research Association asked the zoo and Wildlife Warriors to take a stand on the Traveston Dam and to make a submission on the state government’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The association said it was prompted to do so after the EIS made reference to the zoo in relation to the planned Fresh Water Conservation Centre promised by the government if the dam proceeds.

The EIS states that the “Conservation Centre and its incorporated Interpretive Centre, the aquatic environments of the dam and nearby rivers and streams, refuge islands, turtle nest banks ... and the proximity to Australia Zoo (just 40 minutes away) provide a wide range of educational opportunities at all levels, from primary to post-graduate tertiary”.

“It is anticipated … that private organisations will seek linkages to the Fresh Water Conservation Centre that may seek funding to expand their operations through existing mechanisms or linkages with Queensland Water Infrastructure.”

The Turtle Conservation and Research Association said the zoo indicated it was not prepared to make a public declaration on the issue.

“It is ironic, considering that the locally endangered Mary River turtle is on display at Australia Zoo and the zoo was in charge of the Australasian captive breeding program for the species,” spokesman Craig Latta said.

“Their lack of interest is really disappointing, as Australia Zoo claims to be all for conservation.”

The Sunshine Coast Environment Council said its attempts to encourage the Australia Zoo to become involved in local environmental issues had also failed.

“We sent a letter to Main Roads about the planned upgrade of Steve Irwin Way, and we believed it was a great opportunity to involve the zoo and talk jointly with the government about improving the environmental design,” general manager of the Sunshine Coast Environment Council Ian Christesen said.

“When we contacted the zoo, we were told to send them a submission. We did and we’ve heard nothing since.

“We met with their marketing people some months ago and said ‘here are a range of opportunities where we could work together and perhaps arrange an environmental audit of the zoo’ because they weren’t using green energy, they had lights on outdoors during the day, and they were using polystyrene in the canteen, but again, we heard nothing.

“South-east Queensland has the second highest biodiversity in Australia and there are myriad things we and the zoo could work on collaboratively but they don’t appear to be interested.”

Zoo refuses to release statement

Australia Zoo has maintained its stony silence over the alleged rift between Bob and Terri Irwin, refusing to release any statement to the Daily, contrary to earlier assurances it would.

Despite repeated attempts over the past fortnight, the zoo has refused to answer any of the Daily’s questions or give an explanation of repeated claims, by staff and former staff, that Bob Irwin has been banned from the zoo.

A report in a Brisbane paper yesterday quoted Bob Irwin as saying the matter was "complicated".

He said he had written a statement that would be issued through the zoo.

He said he would not discuss what was in it until it had been seen by zoo general manager Frank Muscillo.

The statement said only: "Bob is a gentleman of retirement age and we fully support and love him dearly. He has been through so much grief with the loss of his first wife Lyn and only son. These rumours need to end in respect to the Irwin family."

The zoo ignored repeated requests from the Daily by phone and email to see the statement or answer direct questions on the issue.

http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2008/mar/01/terri-irwins-private-property-fortune/

Bob Irwin quits zoo in family row

Barbara McMahon in Sydney The Guardian, Monday March 3 2008

They are Australia's most famous family, carrying on the work of the maverick wildlife broadcaster Steve Irwin since his death nearly 18 months ago.

But rumours have been circulating for some time that all was not well within the ranks of the khaki-clad Irwin clan and yesterday those troubles finally came out into the open. In a move that has stunned many in the country, Irwin's father, Bob, has resigned from Australia Zoo, the tourist attraction on Queensland's Sunshine Coast that he started from humble beginnings and passed on to his son.

Pointedly he made no reference in his farewell statement to his daughter-in-law Terri, who is raising his grandchildren Bindi and Bob. The family rift is said to have occurred because Bob Irwin is unhappy with the way Terri, 43, an American-born conservationist, is commercialising the family's animal empire.

The feud was first revealed in the women's magazine New Idea, the same magazine that was the original source of stories about Prince Harry's deployment to Afghanistan. The article claimed Irwin was unhappy with the way the zoo was being run. It was also claimed that staff were upset that he had been banned from the zoo after an argument with his daughter-in-law.

The report was denied by all sides but last week stories emerged of another clash over a koala rehabilitation centre at Ironbark Station, one of the zoo's conservation properties Bob Irwin had managed since 1999, as it was not making money. Irwin was said to be facing a battle to remain in his home on the property. "There are people at the zoo who think that Steve's commitment to animal research and conservation isn't being maintained," one zoo volunteer said, adding that tensions there were "at boiling point".

In a statement yesterday to Australia's Sunday Telegraph, Bob Irwin said it had been a "difficult decision" to leave the zoo he had helped to build over 36 years. Paying tribute to his son, who died when the barb from a stingray pierced his heart during the filming of a documentary in 2006, he said he would "continue Steve's dream" at a 98 hectare (242 acre) property he had just bought in another part of Queensland.

"You may rest assured that Judy [his partner] and I will continue Steve's dream, with the passion and commitment he would expect," he said. "Steve's ultimate passion, even from a young boy, was always for the conservation of Australian wildlife and its habitat."

Irwin's omission of his daughter-in-law's name and failure to mention her contribution to Australia Zoo shocked many of the zoo's supporters who were unaware of the strains within the family. Websites were flooded with comments from fans.

Irwin, a former plumber, moved his family to Queensland in the 1970s and started a small reptile park that grew into Australia Zoo. He and his wife, Lyn, who died in 2000, handed over the operation of the zoo to his son and daughter-in-law in 1992. Last year he was named Queensland's Grandfather of the Year but did not turn up to accept the award because he was catching crocodiles off Cape York, Queensland. He has often been praised for his "foresight and innovation" in the captive care of Australian wildlife and is said to have been his son's role model.

John Stainton, the television executive who promoted Steve Irwin's TV career and is guiding Bindi Irwin's career, said he knew nothing about the row. There has also been no further comment from the management of Australia Zoo.

Fame and fortune
Since Steve Irwin's death, his widow Terri and the couple's daughter Bindi have become the figureheads of Australia Zoo - a multimillion dollar operation, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. Bindi stars in her own TV show, Bindi the Jungle Girl, has featured in a fitness DVD with dancers dressed as crocodiles, and has her own clothing range and action figure doll. Both she and her four-year-old brother Bob celebrate birthdays in public at the zoo. Bindi's 10th birthday on July 24 is already being advertised on the zoo's website. The pair appear regularly on US chat shows and at Hollywood events. The zoo counts Justin Timberlake and the Dalai Lama among its supporters and recently announced plans for a 200-hectare safari park, featuring elephants and orang-utans.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/03/australia

HERE is the exact, full text of the media release that Australia Zoo founder Bob Irwin wanted to be distributed to the media.

Media Release from Bob Irwin
I have decided to step down from my role as manager of Ironbark Station as well as my duties at Australia Zoo. As you can imagine this was a very difficult decision to make after 36 years with Australia Zoo.

In late 1999, Steve and I discussed important projects that were to take place at Ironbark Station, one of the zoo's conservation properties which I have managed since 1999. These projects have been completed with the wonderful assistance from staff and our wildlife caring friends.

Currently, Ironbark Station is home to a very important koala research project which is tracking and monitoring the movements and health of hand-raised koalas following release. This is due to be completed in June 2008, at which time Judy and I will move to our new property.

Steve's ultimate passion, even from a young boy, was always for the conservation of Australian wildlife and its habitat. When Judy and I move to our new property we intend to carry on with wildlife rehabilitation and conservation projects and therefore continue Steve's and my dream.

I would like to thank Australia Zoo for their valuable assistance in acquiring our new property in SE Queensland. Australia Zoo has kindly offered to assist us in the relocation (to our new property) of animals needing special care.

I would like to sincerely thank all of the dedicated and hardworking staff at Australia Zoo, Wildlife Warriors and the Australian Wildlife Hospital for their kindness and support over many years.

To all of Steve's friends out there, you may rest assured that Judy and I will continue with Steve's dream, with the passion and commitment he would expect.

I would appreciate that my privacy be respected at this time. A more in-depth statement may be released at a later date, if necessary.

Bob Irwin

Dreadful shame!

Must agree there love.

Damn Americans!

Im speechless Its gonna turn into a zoo, and thats not what Steve wanted, like he said that was his way of educating peeps, and how many of us have learnt from some of his programmes? He gave his life for the animals, Unfortunately Steve left everything (control) to his wife, who of cos helped him, but its never good to leave total control to only 1 person.

It saddens me

And you know what!! it couldve been worse, Imagine if she had been mates with Michael Jackson, then she could take over his zoo. Neverland, imagine.

Obviously Steve trusted Terry to run things as he would, but commercialism comes with a hefty price. She appears to be breaking away from conservation, which as we all know was Steves passion, if this happens then it will be no different from any other zoo. With her having several other businesses I would of thought she would be personally putting more of her own cash back into the world Steve and his family built up. Like many of us on this forum... we give alot and don't expect anything back. So at what point did she make the changes? Is it just greed? This maybe out of term here but I am sure she would of got a good pay out upon the death of Steve also, The Crocodile Hunter empire must be massive! So why the hell does she feel the need to commercialise to the extent she is doing and not put a good chunk back into conservation?

March 16, 2008 12:00am

PLANS to sell Australia Zoo to a US company and build a multi-million-dollar theme park on the site may have been the wedge that has driven apart Bob and Terri Irwin.

A staff member has told The Sunday Mail that American-born Mrs Irwin plans to sell the tourist attraction to US television channel Animal Planet and move back to the US with children Bindi and Robert.

The speculation surrounding the sale and move was believed to be behind the recent rift, which saw her father-in-law, Bob Irwin, leave the zoo he started 32 years ago.

The zoo employee said the rumoured sale and $100 million Disney-style wildlife theme park was common knowledge among the zoo's 550 staff.

However an Australia Zoo spokeswoman said the leaked information was incorrect. She said Australia Zoo had not been sold to Animal Planet and Mrs Irwin had no plans to leave Australia.

The spokeswoman refused to comment on future plans that might involve Animal Planet.

Animal Planet is owned by US-based global media and entertainment company Discovery Communications Inc.

Neither Animal Planet or DCI could be reached for comment.

DCI started as the Discovery Channel in 1985 and now has 1.5 billion subscribers and 100 channels in more than 170 countries.

Animal Planet has a vested interest in the zoo. It was believed DCI has already invested heavily in the tourist attraction and helped build the 5000-seat bird and reptile stadium that bears its name – the Animal Planet Crocoseum.

In October 2003, Steve Irwin discussed plans to build a "Crocodile Hunter Park" with rides and interactive exhibits in Brisbane.

Mr Irwin, who died after a stingray attack in 2006, discussed plans with Brisbane's then-lord mayor Tim Quinn and looked at several sites, but it was later decided the zoo would remain at its current location.

Six months ago the zoo announced plans to expand from 28ha to 400ha.

Mrs Irwin recently won the 2008 Queensland Businesswoman of the Year award for attracting more than a million visitors a year, expanding Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, overseeing Bindi's TV and fashion career and overseeing plans for a "$100 million expansion to a wildlife version of Disneyland".

In a statement released to The Sunday Mail, Bob Irwin said he quit in order to "keep his son's dream alive".

Mrs Irwin and Australia Zoo are being sued by debt collection agency Alyssa Treasury Services Ltd.

The Australian Taxation Office is also involved in the case, which will go to trial in Victoria in October.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23380147-952,00.html

What a shame ..he would turn in his grave knowing this was happening.

Must agree with you Tilly, I don't think he's be too impressed and nor his fans or collegues for that matter. It is just so sad. I feel Terry has just become greedy!