General News
7 July, 2022
Green waste donations assist native wildlife
MORE than $4,350 in donations collected during Council’s two most recent free green waste disposal periods will assist in caring for sick, orphaned and injured native wildlife.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning presented $4,353.15 to Far North Queensland Wildlife Rescue on Wednesday.
“We are very pleased to be able to make this donation on behalf of residents to this very important service,” Cr Manning said.
“FNQ Wildlife Rescue has assisted distressed native wildlife for over three decades.
“In just the past year, the organisation has assisted over 1,700 birds and animals and attended many more rescues.”
FNQ Wildlife Rescue provides a 24/7 emergency hotline for wildlife calls and maintains a Wildlife Admin Centre in Cairns, which is staffed by volunteers.
The centre provides an administration and storage centre for wildlife rescuers and carers and a venue for meetings, training sessions, and workshops.
FNQ Wildlife Rescue treasurer Aline Sheehan said today’s donation would assist with annual expenses, including purchasing specialised foods, providing professional training sessions and workshops, and supporting wildlife carers by subsidising some expenses, such as fuel costs.
“As a volunteer organisation, we receive no government funding and rely on our membership and community support and donations to keep us going, yet we provide an essential service to the community,” Mrs Sheehan said.
“We receive over 450 calls per month from members of the public requesting assistance with sick, orphaned or injured wildlife.
“Most of these animals are taken in by our volunteer carers who raise them to a stage where they can be released back into their natural habitat.
“Raising wildlife is no mean feat, and many carers give up months of their time and much of their own money to rehabilitate these birds and animals.
“On behalf of FNQ Wildlife Rescue, I would like to thank Council and the community for their generosity.”
Voluntary donations were collected at the gate of each of Cairns Regional Council’s waste transfer stations during the free green waste drop-offs in February and May
