Recognising the vital work volunteers and wildlife organisations do, Ballina MP Tamara Smith recently called on the NSW state government in parliament to provide ongoing funding for wildlife organisations to rehabilitate and conserve Australian wildlife.
‘Our wildlife hospitals and rescue organisations are in desperate need of ongoing and recurrent funding from the state government if we are to have any chance of slowing down the extinction crises,’ she told The Echo.
‘The Minns Labor government have promised to support our wildlife rescue and rehabilitation network in the Northern Rivers, but almost a year out from the next state election we see nothing on the table.
Wildlife levy
‘I raised the idea of a wildlife levy with the minister for the environment this year when I introduced legislation to include wildlife strikes in speed zone reviews,’ said Ms Smith.
If we charged a mere one per cent wildlife levy on every motorist’s registration nobody would feel it but the millions in revenue each year could provide funding to assist our dedicated wildlife organisations to keep going and to focus on rescue and recovery instead of grant funding rounds,’ she said.
‘When you think that motor vehicle strikes are the second biggest reason for wildlife species extinction – second only to climate change, it makes so much sense to resource wildlife rescue through motor vehicle registrations.
‘I for one would be proud to see that levy on my registration and I think that most people in our community would feel the same way.’
You can watch Ms Smith’s complete statement on YouTube below:
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
