The Strategic Plan focuses on innovative and effective animal welfare and conservation activities that also create rich learning experiences for visitors.

• It lays out modest but exciting investment plans for new styles of exhibits, renewed animal stocks, and improved veterinary techniques and facilities – as well as more intriguing visitor amenities and programmes. While Council and partner funding will be required for these investments, significantly increased visitor revenues will in the long term lead to greater financial independence.
  
  
• It builds on existing partnerships to make a greater contribution to conservation through community-based projects, research, and managed breeding programmes.
  
  
• It presents sustainable management and living practices as a core Zoo theme, attracting eco-tourists and helping to promote Wellington as a place to visit.
  
  
• It draws on internationally recognised learning programmes and experiences to be developed by Zoo educators and advisory groups from throughout the Wellington region, and staged in new and refurbished learning centres around the Zoo.
  
  
• It offers innovative exhibit design that allows visitors interaction through sight, smell, and hearing, and a seamless environment where visitors can have close encounters in some cases, or seem to in others.
  
  
• It provides ways for Zoo staff to share information about the animals, which will enrich the visitors' active experience and understanding and their connection to the animals and their world.
  
  
• It maintains the extremely high professional standards of animal care and conservation activities for which the Zoo has become well known.