Platypus rescue centre to be refuge for at-risk animal

Dozens of wild at-risk platypuses will be able to find safe refuge at a state-of-the-art conservation centre at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

The purpose-built facility will house up to 65 of the native monotremes during severe environmental events such as droughts, bushfires or floods.

The Platypus Rescue HQ, which opened at the zoo at Dubbo in western NSW on Tuesday, houses rescue and rehabilitation facilities, a research centre to study the animal's behaviour and a pre-release area to prepare them to return to the wild.

It also houses a public, purpose-built platypus habitat.

Established at a cost of $12.1 million, the centre is aimed at filling gaps in experts' knowledge about the species' biology, genetics and breeding behaviour.

The platypus is susceptible to the impacts of climate change and habitat loss, and its numbers are in decline in many key habitat areas.

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe said the platypus centre would support the future of the much-loved and iconic Australian animal.

"We're committed to supporting the population of this species, protecting them from the impacts of climate change and habitat loss, and preserving their numbers in the wild for years to come," she said.

Taronga Conservation Society Australia chief executive Cameron Kerr said the facility would bring together global experts to protect the animals, which were the "silent victims of climate change".

The facility has been jointly funded by the NSW government, Taronga Conservation Society Australia and philanthropic donors.