Major wildlife hospital opens in Wollongbar

The Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital (NRWH) has opened in Wollongbar as a world-class facility to provide much-needed life-saving treatment and care for thousands of injured native wildlife.

The new community-owned hospital has been given a secure home on almost two hectares of Crown land on Lindendale Road so it can treat injured, sick and orphaned animals from the seven Local Government Areas that span the Northern Rivers region.

NRWH and Crown Lands have signed an ongoing licence for the not-for-profit wildlife hospital that will treat wildlife before releasing them back into the wild. The NRWH will provide a valuable piece of community infrastructure on Crown land.

When fully operational, the hospital expects to support 5,000 animals each year and employ between four to eight full-time staff. Up to 60 per cent of the animals are expected to be native birds, ranging from Rainbow lorikeets to Wedge-tailed eagles. Marsupials like echidnas and koalas will also be treated at the new facility as well as other animals in need.

The opening is the first stage of a three-tranche project that also aims to eventually include expanded pathology and necropsy services, subject to funding. At full capacity, the hospital will be a multidisciplinary facility that leverages expertise in the region, including from multiple WIRES branches, Friends of Koalas in Lismore, Australian Seabird &Turtle Rescue, Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers and Northern Rivers Wildlife Carers.

The Northern Rivers is a biodiversity hot spot and according to the NSW Government’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Data Dashboard, over 11,000 native animals were rescued across the seven LGA's of the Northern Rivers in 2022/23.

The NRWH will also provide the region and local wildlife carers with a Wildlife Transport Van service to transport animals from veterinarians to the hospital for specialised treatment.

Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital chair Madeleine Faught said:

“We are grateful for the opportunity to have worked positively with Crown Lands and the broader community to ensure the Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital is able to get up and running. Providing life-saving skilled veterinary treatment to protect and secure the survival of our precious wildlife is critically important.

“On behalf of the Board, I extend further appreciation to Crown Lands for providing Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital this access to public land at a reasonable cost. We still have a way to go to complete our full planning for what the Hospital facility will offer and are reliant on ongoing community funding to be fully operational.”

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:

“A dedicated animal hospital designed to care for native animals in the Northern Rivers region is a great initiative and will go a long way towards helping to protect our precious wildlife.

“Crown land is held by the NSW Government on behalf of the public for the benefit of the community, and the establishment of the Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital in one of NSW’s most important biodiversity hotspots is a very worthy cause.”