As the pressure mounts from the NSW Labor state government to increase the amount and density of housing, and as a result increase the population, across the Northern Rivers the impact on wildlife will continue to grow.
Therefore the $1.5 million in new funding provided to Northern Rivers wildlife care facilities will provide some help to animals that need assistance following the increasing impacts that cars, dogs, cats and ongoing repercussions of human dominance of the landscape inevitably lead to.
Janelle Saffin, the local Member for Lismore has announced $1.5 million in new funding provided to Northern Rivers wildlife care facilities. The bulk of the money, $1.4 million, has been allocated to complete building the Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital in Wollongbar. Other grants include $110,000 to Friends of the Koala (FOK) to develop a koala database and vaccinate 300 koalas against chlamydia.
‘The licensing and funding to administer the chlamydia vaccine to koalas marks a significant leap forward in safeguarding our local population,’ said a FOK spokesperson.
‘We have recently seen a decline in community and corporate donations. We will continue to meet with the NSW Government to discuss ongoing support, but it will take all levels of government, corporate and philanthropic support to help us save this iconic species.’
Grants totalling $460,000 have been awarded to Lismore City, Tweed Shire, Ballina Shire, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley councils for signage to alert drivers to slow down and watch for koalas in vehicle strike hotspots.
‘The Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital is wonderful. We have already turned the first sod but this $1.4 million in funding ensures its place within our network of native wildlife care,’ said Member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin.
No commitment to end native forest logging
‘Our local communities love our iconic koalas and the $110,000 in funding will help protect them against chlamydia, and importantly, keep track of them. FOK in East Lismore is a fantastic organisation, professional, with compassionate and competent volunteers.
‘I am proud to have advocated for and secured funding for these projects and very pleased to join Minister Sharpe to announce them here in the electorate.’
Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Penny Sharp said, ‘It is important that koalas have a bright future in NSW’.
The press release from Saffin and Sharp’s offices said ‘The NSW government is committed ensuring the long-term survival of koalas in the wild and each partnership with councils, land managers, community organisation and wildlife groups is an important step toward achieving that goal. Koala habitat restoration is also underway in the Northern Rivers region, with $810,000 invested to restore 660 hectares across private land and national park estate.’
However, neither ministers chose to address the fact that the NSW Labor government has continued to allow native forestry logging throughout the state, even post the 2019/20 Black summer bushfires that destroyed significant areas of koala habitat. The native forestry logging continues to have a significant impact on both the habitat of koalas and other endangered species throughout the Northern Rivers and the state. Both Victoria and WA banned commercial native forest logging from 1 January 2024.
Ms Sharp said that, ‘The NSW Government is taking steps to prevent koalas needing to be in veterinary care, and this funding helps to ensure that native wildlife have the best possible outcome when treated, and returned to the wild.’
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