Three-and-a-half years in the making, construction is under way on a $3 million koala hospital in Port Stephens.
The state-of-the-art facility will feature an operating theatre, intensive care unit, rehabilitation care and a sanctuary, which will be open to the public as an eco-tourism drawcard.
Upon completion in March, the hospital will house up to 30 koalas at a time, including 15 in the display colony.
The existing Treescape facility is operated by Port Stephens Koalas, a volunteer organisation that rescues and treats injured koalas, predominantly from the Tomaree and Tilligerry peninsulas, but also from as far south as Morisset and as east as Muswellbrook, right up to the Port Macquarie border.
Secretary Ron Land praised the state government and Port Stephens council for working together to give the local koala population a better chance of survival.
“[At the construction announcement] we had the Minister for Energy and Environment, Matt Kean, and his shadow minister, Kate Washington, singing from the same song sheet,” Mr Land said.
“There’s a sincere commitment. Finally, all parties realise how perilous the situation is.”
In 2018, 58 koalas were rescued or found dead and another 31 released or relocated, clocking up 1,348 total days in care.
Sadly, too many are wiped out by natural disasters, development and habitat loss.
Port Stephens Koalas are on-call 24/7 to respond to rescue calls, and will continue to work at capacity until the new hospital is built, bringing much-needed extra resources.
Go to portstephenskoalas.com.au to donate or adopt a koala.
– By: Georgia Osland
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