Plans have been approved for the new Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital, which will treat up to 7000 injured animals each year.
Construction is expected to start early next year after the Development Application was endorsed by the City of Moreton Bay council.
Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital Foundation (MBWHF) Director Christine West said the approval was a major milestone.
“It moves us from the planning table into detailed design, procurement and pre-construction, bringing us one step closer to treating local wildlife right here in Moreton Bay,” she said.
The hospital will feature triage spaces, surgical suites, digital radiography, an intensive care nursery, and dedicated avian, mammalian, and reptilian wards.
It will incorporate stringent biosecurity and infection-control standards with quarantine enclosures to respond to emerging wildlife disease threats, including High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (bird flu).
City of Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery said the hospital was a critical project which would deliver world-class care for species such as koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, echidnas and sugar gliders.
“This purpose-built facility will enhance the care of the wildlife in our city, which is home to an incredibly diverse range of native species,” he said.
“This is such an important project as it will mean injured wildlife can be treated locally instead of travelling up to two hours for emergency care, ultimately increasing survival rates and easing the workload of our local volunteer wildlife rescuers.”
MBWHF is seeking corporate and community partnerships to fund specialised medical equipment and clinical fit-out requirements.
The project has been backed by $15 million in funding from the Queensland Government, and the City of Moreton Bay has allocated a $3 million parcel of Council land under a community lease arrangement.
More details are here.
