Redland to become home to RSPCA super wildlife hospital at Redland

RSPCA Queensland has revealed multimillion-dollar plans to build a wildlife rescue centre on Brisbane’s bayside, a day after axing jobs and withdrawing funding from its Sunshine Coast clinic.

Indigiscapes at Capalaba is the likely site for a multimillion-dollar RSPCA wildlife rescue centre.

RSPCA Queensland has axed jobs and withdrawn funding from its wildlife clinic at Eumundi on the Sunshine Coast and will build a multimillion-dollar wildlife hospital in Redland.

Under the plans, the RSPCA Wildlife Hospital at Wacol and Rehabilitation Centre at Eumundi will be scaled back with two casuals and a manager made redundant two weeks ago.

Its wildlife rescue operations will be brought under the one roof at the new Redland facility while the RSPCA’s Wacol centre is likely to continue to operate for domestic pets.

RSPCA Queensland said it was still in negotiations with Redland City Council and was unwilling to reveal the site, which has widely been touted as Capalaba’s Indigiscapes Centre.

A spokesman said a purpose-built facility on Redlands Coast would greatly improve the charity’s ability to provide treatment, care and rehabilitation to native wildlife across the southeast.

Redlands has a koala ambulance roadside rescue but there are now plans to build an RSPCA Wildlife Hospital on the bayside.

“The animal welfare charity has been searching for a suitable location across Brisbane and the greater Brisbane region that could accommodate a Wildlife Centre of Excellence,” the RSPCA said in a statement.

“In 2012, the RSPCA’s Wildlife Hospital at Wacol admitted 8,359 wildlife patients into care.

“This number has since grown significantly, and in the past 12 months 24,852 native animals have required treatment and care.

“The RSPCA team is excited about the prospect of establishing a Wildlife Centre of Excellence in the region and also the opportunity to collaborate with Redland City Council, which has synergistic values around conservation, the preservation of native flora and fauna and their wildlife services in place in the region.

“Redland City Council is enthusiastic about a potential partnership with RSPCA Queensland and is well placed to assist in the opportunity to collaborate on a Wildlife Centre of Excellence.”

Redland council was contacted for comment.

Wildlife Rescue Sunshine Coast founder Claire Smith said the RSPCA had refused to reinstate funding for the Eumundi project and was focusing on moving operations to Redland.

The plans were revealed by Wildlife Rescue Sunshine Coast founder Claire Smith after a 90-minute meeting with RSPCA chief executive Darren Maier on Monday.

Wildlife Rescue Sunshine Coast, an independent volunteer rescue service for injured animals, relies on nursing and veterinary services provided at the RSPCA’s Eumundi centre.

Ms Smith said funding was cut to the Eumundi facility to make way for the new Redland project.

She said Mr Maier dismissed her protests to keep a full complement of paid staff on at the Sunshine Coast, which she said had lower euthanasia rates and higher release rates than at Wacol.

“RSPCA said it costs a quarter of their wildlife budget to keep Eumundi open and it’s not returning the results that it should do,” Ms Smith said.

“That is a sign that the group spearheading RSPCA Queensland and its wildlife arm, have not got the first clue about wildlife or animals because they believe it is all about money.

“We do need money to make things happen, but to cut a budget because we were not meeting target is unfair especially when Eumundi exceeded all its wildlife targets.

“This is just because Mr Maier wants to build a super hospital at Redlands which will cost millions and millions of dollars to build that great big centre when what is needed is smaller regional centres embedded in the local community.”

Redland has been touted as a new base for a wildlife hospital since 2017 when owners of the now-defunct Alma Park Zoo eyed off federal and Redland council land at Birkdale for a new home.

However, a protracted legal case hindered those plans and the council and state government have since moved to turn part of the Birkdale site into a $300 million Olympic whitewater rafting venue.

Redland councillor Adelia Berridge said relocating the animal hospital to Redland was a victory for the bayside. Picture: Judith Kerr

Redland councillor Adelia Berridge said the Redland proposal was a victory after she had been pushing for a wildlife hospital in Brisbane’s east for six years.

In 2020, she called for an animal hospital to be included in the master plan for the Birkdale site, now at the centre of a state and local council $300 million Olympic venue.

“Redlands is the perfect place for such a wildlife hospital as it is close to koala habitat and experts on the ground and this is a good outcome for Redland,” she said.

“It has taken many years to convince the powers that be that Redlands should get this facility.

“I had hoped that the Birkdale site would be home to a wildlife hospital and had pushed that before the council revealed its $300 million Olympic plans.”