Major investment in koala rescue and rehabilitation

Front-line koala rescue and rehabilitation organisations will be able to expand their services after the Newman Government announced $202,127 in funding for eleven koala care organisations.

Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection, Andrew Powell announced the successful second round recipients of the Koala Rescue and Rehabilitation Grants program at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, where he opened the Wild Koala Rehabilitation Enclosure – made possible through the first round of grants.

“Unlike the previous Labor Government which just focused on buying up koala habitat, these grants are a major investment to help community organisations extend koala conservation beyond habitat protection by delivering frontline support in rescuing and rehabilitating koalas,” Mr Powell said.

“Many of these organisations are not-for-profit and are staffed by volunteers and many provide 24-hour koala rescue, transport and rehabilitation services.

“These grants provide another great opportunity for koala conservation groups to secure much needed funds to continue their work.

“They are part of the Queensland Government’s $26.5 million Investing to protect our koalas initiative and deliver a valuable community service.

“Funding has been provided to koala organisations serving the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Magnetic Island, Brisbane, Ipswich, Pine Rivers, Darling Downs and Gympie regions.”

Member for Currumbin Jann Stuckey said the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation has received a $100,000 grant from the Queensland Government to help it establish a eucalypt plantation and associated facilities to feed hospitalised koalas.

“I applaud the Currumbin Sanctuary Wildlife Hospital staff for their magnificent, life-saving work rehabilitating sick and injured koalas,” Ms Stuckey said.

“This grant will assist the hospital foundation to plant 15,000 koala fodder trees on a 6.4-hectare site leased from SEQ Water, and to build facilities for storing gum leaves that will be used to feed the ever increasing koala population at the hospital.”

Mr Powell said the Queensland Government was delighted to assist these koala organisations with their vital koala work.

“As our urban society continues to grow we find koalas can face increasing threats through habitat loss, vehicle strike and domestic dog attacks,” he said.

“The work undertaken by these organisations helps maintain koala populations throughout Queensland.”

Applications for the next round of Koala Rescue and Rehabilitation Grants funding will be announced later this year.

[ENDS] 20 March, 2014

Full list of Koala rescue and rehabiliation grant recipients:

• Currumbin Wildlife Hospital Foundation – $100,000 to establish 15,000 koala fodder trees on a 6.4-hectare site and gum leaf storage capacity
• Return To The Wild Inc, at Cabarlah near Toowoomba – $27,239 to build and equip a trauma and critical care facility to allow sick or injured koalas to be treated locally, fund a pre-release enclosure for rehabilitating koalas and purchase rehabilitation equipment
• Magnetic Island Community Development Association – $14,505 to enhance the capacity of the island’s koala clinic and rehabilitation facility
• Ipswich Koala Protection Society - $14,200 for a purpose-built educational trailer and accessories for public koala education and awareness activities
• Australian Native Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Association Inc at Glastonbury near Gympie – $12,764 comprising $11,000 for a relocatable sheltered cage to hold koalas awaiting treatment and $1764 for koala rescue equipment
• Manly Road Veterinary Hospital – $9813 for specialised veterinary equipment
• RSPCA – $6000 for koala tracking and scanning equipment to locate reported koalas, map where koalas are released and where populations live, and identify previous medical history for koalas that return for rehabilitation
• Sunshine Coast Koala Rescue – $5500 for rescue equipment, including rescue traps
• Wildcare Australia Inc – $4450 for a koala trap and paediatric stethoscopes and a mulcher to dispose of fodder waste
• Koala Action Inc (previously known as Koala Action Pine Rivers) – $3909 for koala education and awareness materials
• Pine Rivers Koala Care Association Inc – $3747 for koala care and community education activities and for member training

Media contact: Lynette Keep 0419 620 299