$5 million Federal grant for new RSPCA wildlife hospital at Capalaba

Construction of RSPCA Queensland’s new state-of-the-art Wildlife Hospital and Centre for Excellence in the Redlands will be supported by the Federal Government with an investment of $5 million.

The funding was announced today by Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek as part of an $11.6 million funding package to support koala health in Queensland.

Ms Plibersek said that the the Federal Government’s investment would help koalas not only survive— but thrive.

“No-one wants to imagine an Australia without koalas. The Australian Government is making sure our kids and grandkids will still be able to see koalas in the wild.

“Investing in koala health projects, like a new infectious disease ward for koalas and developing a vaccine to fight koala disease, will play a crucial role in protecting and conserving this beloved animal”.

Redlands wildlife hospital long awaited

The need for a wildlife hospital in the Redlands was identified a long time ago.

In 1997 the Koala Action Group called for a koala hospital to be built in the Redlands.

Councillor Adelia Berridge has long been an active proponent of a local wildlife hospital and included this initiative in her March 2020 election campaign.

In July 2020 the Queensland RSPCA revealed that it was in discussions with the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council to find a suitable site for a new wildlife hospital.

Cr Berridge proposed that Redlands be the location of the new wildlife hospital at a Redland City Council meeting in June 2022.

A site near the Indigiscapes environmental centre at Capalaba was identified as the likely location for the new RSPCA wildlife hospital in a Courier Mail story published in August 2023.

Plans unveiled today show that the RSPCA wildlife hospital will be well equipped to deal with all types of wildlife; koalas and other mammals as well as birdlife and reptiles.

RSPCA Queensland says that its new Redlands Wildlife Hospital will need total funding of more than $20 million to become a reality.

More Federal koala funding

Other projects announced today by Minister Plibersek include $3.5 million for the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.

This funding will support the establishment of a new infectious disease ward for koalas and conduct research into koala disease, as well as plant koala food tree orchards to feed koalas while in care and upgrade the hospital’s computer network and community education facilities.

The Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary at the Gold Coast will get $2.39 million to establish a new koala intensive care unit and a new rehabilitation and exercise enclosure to better support the recovery of sick and injured koalas. This funding will also support planting of a koala food tree orchard for feeding sick and injured koalas, purchasing a new wildlife ambulance, conducting research into koala disease, and training internal and external veterinary professionals and wildlife carers in better koala care techniques.

Money will also be spent on koala health research:

• $750,000 for the University of Sunshine Coast to support development of a vaccine to fight chlamydia in koalas.
• $750,000 to be provided to the Queensland University of Technology to develop and trial an implant for the delivery of the second shot of their two dose koala chlamydia vaccine.

Redlands2030 – 8 November 2023