Summerland Peninsula

Summerland Peninsula Victoria
IUCN category III (natural monument or feature)
Summerland Peninsula, Philip Island, Australia
Summerland Peninsula
Coordinates	38°30′36″S 145°7′48″E / 38.51000°S 145.13000°E / -38.51000; 145.13000Coordinates: 38°30′36″S 145°7′48″E / 38.51000°S 145.13000°E / -38.51000; 145.13000
See also	Protected areas of Victoria

The Summerland Peninsula is located at the western end of Phillip Island in Victoria, Australia. The peninsula lies within the Gippsland Plain Bioregion and is a site of high conservation significance.

As part of a protected area the peninsula supports a diverse array of animal and plant life, including a number of species listed as of conservation concern by international, federal and state bodies including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act) and it is a BirdLife International Important Bird Area. It is home to one of the largest Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) breeding colonies in Australia, the second largest breeding colony of Australian Fur Seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) in the world, one of the largest breeding colonies of Greater crested terns (Sterna bergii) in Victoria and an important breeding ground for Short-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus tenuirostris). Several plants regarded as rare or threatened in either Victoria or Australia have been recorded on the peninsula, including River Swamp Wallaby-grass (Amphibromus fluitans) listed as vulnerable in Australia.

The peninsula was significantly modified by agricultural, residential and recreational developments until the 1980s causing overall ecosystem degradation, however protection, management and restoration efforts over the past 30 years has seen the areas biodiversity recover. Today Phillip Island Nature Parks (PINP) manage the peninsula as an area of ecological significance under the Crown Land Reserves Act 1978. The peninsula is also home to two major state tourism assets managed by PINP, the Penguin Parade and the Nobbies Centre, which receive over 600,000 visitors annually. As a not-for-profit organisation operating revenue from these eco-tourism activities fund conservation work across PINP managed land.