ANGIE BELL MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

SHADOW MINISTER FOR YOUTH

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MONCRIEFF

DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES SHADOW MINISTER FOR REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MALLEE

LEON REBELLO MP

FEDERAL MEMBER FOR MCPHERSON

JOINT MEDIA RELEASE

13 August 2025

COALTION ADVOCACY DELIVERS FOR CURRUMBIN WILDLIFE HOSPITAL

The Federal Government’s announcement of $8 million in funding for the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital’s Research and Education Campus is a welcome step for wildlife conservation – albeit one that has taken far too long. This funding follows years of sustained advocacy by the Coalition to secure the resources needed for this vital facility to support the Hospital’s world-leading conservation work. The Currumbin Wildlife Hospital provides a critical service to the southern Gold Coast, delivering life-saving care for injured wildlife and driving conservation research. This is a cause close to the heart of new Federal Member for McPherson, Leon Rebello, who made funding this project a key election commitment. “Whilst I’m pleased to see this funding finally delivered, it’s disappointing it took the Government this long to act,” Mr Rebello said. “We’ve heard the Hospital’s calls for support loud and clear for years, and I’ve walked much of the journey with them, so I’m glad to see our community’s advocacy has paid off.”

Shadow Minister for the Environment, Angie Bell, understands the importance of this investment

but asks why it has taken so long.

“We know Labor are on the go-slow and the back foot when it comes to environmental

investment, so it’s no surprise they’ve once again been too slow to respond to assist our koala

population, Ms Bell said.

“It begs the question, will they wait for funding to dry up completely before acting next time, or

will they wait for koalas to suffer because they haven’t benefitted from the Currumbin Wildlife

Hospital’s immensely successful vaccination program?

“The vaccination program shows great promise where they’ve overseen the successful

vaccination of more than 500 koalas.

“The government must provide certainty moving forward to ensure the continued operation and

investment so the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital can deliver for the Gold Coast koala population.”

Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, Dr Anne

Webster MP, said the Albanese Government had been slow in delivering desperately needed

funding across Australia.

"The former Coalition Government delivered $1.15 billion through 1,293 projects in Australian

communities in less than six years thanks to five funding rounds of the Building Better Regions

Fund,” Dr Webster said.

“Labor are well off the pace in their fourth year in office. Labor's replacement funding programs

are comparatively slow to get out the door, adding pressure on local government.

“For four years the Prime Minister has repeated his mantra 'nobody held back, nobody left

behind' but that is the lived experience for millions of Australians."

The new Research and Education Campus will strengthen broader conservation efforts by

attracting leading experts, fostering collaboration, and sharing knowledge with the community.

Once completed, the campus is expected to create 41 jobs and inject $6.7 million into the

economy each year.

Media contacts:

Bell | Madi Spedding – 0431 689 103

Webster | Rikki Lambert - 0427 310 770

Rebello | Grace Knight – 0457 709 537

BACKGROUND:

• 60 per cent of Koala admissions at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital are due to chlamydia, a

bacterial infection and is one of the largest threats posed to the species’ survival.

• Over the past 30 years, there’s been an exponential rise in Koala admissions at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital. The hospital treated, rehabilitated, and released almost 500 koalas from South-East Queensland and Northern New South Wales in 2020.

• In 2020, Currumbin Wildlife Hospital launched the Koala Chlamydia Vaccine Research Program and is now vaccinating all Koala patients against chlamydia prior to their release back into the wild, signifying a major milestone for the protection of Koalas.

• Currumbin Wildlife Hospital’s Senior Vet, Dr Michael Pyne OAM is leading the way in this urgent Koala research and working hard to prevent the imminent localised extinction of the Koala. Dr Pyne has been treating Koalas for more than twenty-five years and believes prevention is better than cure.

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