Animal Justice Party councillor Matt Stellino says he is not opposed to the use of a chlamydia testing machine to detect the disease among the local koala colony.
But he wants to halt plans to administer a chlamydia vaccine to Campbelltown koalas as part of a trial.
“The experts who helped put together Campbelltown koala plan of management did not consider a vaccine trial to be beneficial,’’ he said.
“I just don’t think it’s necessary to go ahead with this vaccine trial for our koalas.
“But I am happy for the testing machine to be used to see if there is any chlamydia in the local koala colony,’’ Cr Stellino said.
The state government announced last month plans for a chlamydia vaccine trial for local koalas.
According to the media release, the vaccine could increase koalas’ resistance to the potentially deadly disease.
Cr Stellino, pictured, wants council to write to the minister for the environment requesting him not to proceed with the vaccine trial “so long as no signs of chlamydia are detected in the colony’’.
In a four part notice of motion that will be debated at tomorrow night’s council meeting, Cr Stellino is also asking that:
Council include in the letter that koala experts hold the opinion that there was no merit in trialling the vaccine in Campbelltown, since the disease is not present, the vaccine is not inheritable and we are already at maximum reproductive rates leading to only possible negative outcomes;
Council also include in the letter support for the rest of the program announced, including the chlamydia testing machine to assist in detection of the disease as well as the allocation of state funds for habitat restoration of koala corridors in the Campbelltown local government area;
Council ask if the minister has allocated or intends to allocate funding towards koala carers in the region under the NSW Koala strategy.
