Currumbin Wildlife Hospital thrilled with funding for koala rescue and rehabilitation

THE Currumbin Wildlife Hospital will receive a hefty grant to help care for the increasing amount of koalas needing rescuing or rehabilitation.

Environment Minister Andrew Powell with a koala and handler Amanda Taylor. Photo by Richa

AFTER months of fundraising and lobbying the State Government the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital has finally been granted much-needed funds to expand its koala rescue services.

A $100,000 grant from the Newman Government will ensure the hospital can keep up with the increasing demand for koala rescues and rehabilitation.

Environment and Heritage Protection Minister Andrew Powell announced the grant at the official opening of the Wild Koala Rehabilitation Enclosure at the wildlife hospital on Thursday.

The enclosure was built with the first lot of funding given to the hospital by the government, but is already at capacity.

“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.

Member for Currumbin Jann Stuckey was elated with the funding, she said the grant would assist with planting 15,000 koala fodder trees that would be used to feed the increasing numbers of koalas taken to the wildlife hospital.

The hospital is caring for dozens of long-term koala patients, which are all in rehabilitation for chlamydia, a disease common in koala colonies.

Chief vet Michael Pyne was thrilled with the grant.

“We have a fantastic hospital and we did our very best to care for these koalas while they were with us, but as soon as they were ready to leave the surgery there was no real rehabilitation centres that were geared up to give these koalas the long-term care they need,” he said.

“It’s great to have the funding and it’s certainly going to make a world of difference.”

The grant follows council approval of the Coomera Town Centre development and concern that hundreds of koalas could lose their habitat when work on the Foxwell Road site begins.