The NSW Government is delivering on its commitment to the koalas of south-western Sydney with $4.5 million in new funding to establish a koala care centre in the Macarthur region and $500,000 to support volunteer rehabilitators.
The investment will boost the availability of expert help for injured and sick koalas in the region, which is home to a thriving koala population.
The koala care centre will be part of the Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital on the Camden campus of the University of Sydney's School of Veterinary Science. This facility treats the majority of koalas which come into care in the Macarthur region.
Those koalas include Mack and Gage, who are today being released back into the wild at Wedderburn in south-west Sydney after being treated and cared for by staff and volunteers from the Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital and WIRES.
Mack and Gage will be observed for a week in a small area of bushland to ensure they are climbing trees properly. Then they'll receive the green light to roam further afield.
The new funding will expand the hospital's capacity to support koala rescue, rehabilitation and conservation.
The facility will also benefit wildlife rehabilitation across the region with on-call vet care and advice, and access to facilities such as pre-release enclosures, upgraded clinical equipment and biosecurity seclusion areas.
The $500,000 to support the region's dedicated wildlife rehabilitators will be available via a grant program. The funding will support volunteers to continue their invaluable work rescuing and rehabilitating koalas.
This $5 million investment complements previous commitments to safeguard the region's koalas, including habitat protection, koala friendly crossings and vehicle strike mitigation.
The new koala care centre funding is in addition to the allocation of $3.5 million to support regional wildlife hospitals in other parts of New South Wales.
