"This is the second year the zoo has been a finalist in the Australian Tourism Awards and to bring home silver and bronze awards is a fantastic result," Taronga Western Plains Zoo's general manager Matthew Fuller said.

"Just to be a finalist in these two categories is a great achievement and to win a silver award for Best Attraction recognises our continued endeavours to develop and operate the zoo to a global standard."

Mr Fuller said winning a bronze award in the Unique Accommodation category was a wonderful outcome following the zoo's significant investment in overnight experiences.

During the past 18 months the zoo has undergone some exciting changes with the redevelopment of Zoofari Lodge and the opening of the new Savannah Cabins self-contained accommodation, providing visitors with the unique opportunity to wake up in the wild.

"We have benchmarked our experiences against some of the best nature based operators in the world, and we're thrilled that those experiences are receiving national and international recognition," Mr Fuller said.

"We are incredibly pleased and overwhelmed by our success and are delighted to not only receive recognition from industry, but from our visitors as well."

"It highlights that the work we've done and the success we're having is translating into a greater ability for a long-term sustainable approach to supporting our animal care and conservation endeavours."

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is always looking for ways to continue to evolve and develop and will now undertake a comprehensive Visitor Experience Plan, which will see new and exciting wildlife exhibits along with key upgrades and redevelopments across the site, providing unique ways for visitors to directly connect with wildlife.

"The new plan will see a number of significant projects take place at the zoo, with $49.7 million being invested to improve the visitor experience and set Taronga Western Plains Zoo aside from any other zoo in Australia," Mr Fuller said.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is located in Dubbo in Central Western NSW and is open every day. For more information visit www.taronga.org.au or contact 6881 1400.