Adelaide City councillor’s push to find koala rescue group a home in Adelaide Parklands
Adelaide City Council will investigate whether some of its parklands can be used for a koala sanctuary and rescue clinic.
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A koala sanctuary would open in the Adelaide Parklands under an Adelaide City councillor’s plan to help an animal rescue group find a permanent home.
At a meeting on Tuesday night, the council agreed to look at partnering with Adelaide Koala Rescue to create a “small community facility” where volunteers can treat and rehabilitate koalas and other wildlife.
A hub in the parklands would mean volunteer-run organisation Adelaide Koala Rescue would have a permanent base.
The volunteers usually care for the koalas from home, however during last month’s bushfires a makeshift hospital was created at Paradise Primary School to cope with increased demand.
Deputy Lord Mayor Alex Hyde, who is behind the push, said the sanctuary could include shipping containers converted into a “vet clinic”.
“Adelaide Koala Rescue, even outside crisis times, can have 40 koalas that they care for on an ongoing basis and the volunteers do it all out of their homes,” Cr Hyde said.
“Immediately adjacent to (the containers) there could be an area where koalas can live in the trees … until they are healthy enough to be released to where they came from.”
He said other wildlife organisation groups might be able to use the premises.
At the meeting, Cr Mary Couros said a sanctuary could boost tourism and education.
“It would be a perfect set up for them (Adelaide Koala Rescue) in the parklands … and it would be great for our city,” Cr Couros said.
Cr Robert Simms said he was excited to see the council “move into the area of wildlife protection”.
Cr Phil Martin has called for costs of such a project.
Adelaide Koala Rescue was formed in 2018 and operates across metropolitan Adelaide and the hills. It has about 80 volunteers, including veterinarians, ecologists and conservationists.
Group spokesman Simon Zappia said it would welcome partnering with the council to run a koala rehabilitation and research hub in the parklands.
“The bushfire crises across the country and destruction of prime koala habitat has highlighted the importance of protecting both koalas and their homes now and in the future,” Mr Zappia said.
“The mass loss of koalas interstate as well as in the Adelaide Hills and Kangaroo Island means our remaining population in South Australia is as valuable as ever.”
Adelaide Park Lands Preservation Association president Shane Sody said the group would support a koala sanctuary, so long as it does not include a permanent building that the public cannot access.
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