It was all about the koalas today.
State MP Janelle Saffin met with Minister for Climate Change and the Environment Penny Sharpe at Friends of the Koala Hospital in Lismore today, Wednesday, February 21.
Several funding announcements were made to benefit koalas.
Grants of $460,000 will go towards koala alert signage in Richmond Valley, Clarence Valley, Lismore, Tweed Shire and Ballina Shire
The signs will alert drivers to slow down and watch for koalas in strike hotspots.
Support to wildlife hospitals, koala protection and research came in $1.5million of funding across the Northern Rivers.
Koala habitat restoration is also underway in the region, with $810,000 invested to restore 660hectares across private land and national park estates.
$1.4million goes to the Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital in Wollongbar, to complete its building.
Koalas will receive much-needed protection against chlamydia, with 300 koalas to be vaccinated by the Friends of the Koala Hospital. The $110,000 grant will also be used by the group to develop a koala database.
“The licensing and funding to administer the chlamydia vaccine to koalas marks a significant leap forward in safeguarding our local population,” Friends of the Koala said.
Information for this report came from Janelle Saffin’s office.
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