More than $4,350 in donations collected during Cairns City Council’s two most recent free green waste disposal periods will assist in the care of sick, orphaned and injured native wildlife.
Cairns Mayor Bob Manning presented $4,353.15 to Far North Queensland Wildlife Rescue.
“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 been assisting distressed native wildlife for more than 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 maintain a Wildlife Admin Centre in Cairns, which is staffed by volunteers.
The centre provides an administration and storage centre for wildlife rescuers and carers, as well as venue for meetings and some training sessions and workshops.
FNQ Wildlife Rescue treasurer Aline Sheehan said the donation would assist with annual expenses, including the purchase of specialised foods, provide for professional training sessions and workshops, and support 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.”
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.
