The cost of treating an injured koala can sometimes be as high as $5,000, Campbelltown Council was told at its meeting last night.
Local wildlife rescuer Ricardo Lonza urged council to get behind a notice of motion calling for support for volunteers like himself.
Greens councillor Ben Moroney tabled the notice of motion, which explained that “local koala rescuers and carers currently face substantial effort and cost in procuring the necessary volumes of appropriate koala food foliage and disposing of unused or inappropriate foliage’’.
Cr Moroney asked that council investigate how it may be able to offer some real support to the carers.
In addressing the council, Mr Lonza said there were five trained wildlife rescuers in Campbelltown.
Labor councillor Karen Hunt suggested the State Government be approached for support.
“It’s the State Government that’s pushing for the release of land for housing so they should help those who help koalas,’’ Cr Hunt said.
The notice of motion was passed after being put to the vote.
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In other decisions last night, council approved the rezoning of land to pave the way for the Maryfields business park, residential development, seniors living precinct and private open space and heritage areas.
Councillor Ben Moroney was the only one who voted against the rezoning.
The site is west of Blair Athol and across the road [at Narellan Road] from the Campbelltown campus of the Western Sydney University.
The decision means the business park can go ahead and eventually provide a large number of high paying jobs in the heart of Campbelltown.
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Council also approved a robust submission to the Future Transport 2056 Strategy, including calling on the NSW State Government to deliver a rail connection between the Leppington spur and the Western Sydney Airport – before it opens.
Cr Karen Hunt backed the submission, saying “it’s very important that we connect Campbelltown to everywhere.’’
Council’s submission also calls for:
• a Y-link that connects the Leppington spur directly to the T2 Southern Line north of Macquarie Fields rail station to enable a direct train service between the Western Sydney Airport and the Campbelltown CBD;
• the provision of strategic road and/or bus transit corridors for Campbelltown, the Greater Macarthur and Western Sydney;
• the extension of the electrified rail network to Wilton/Picton – or at the very least, establishes the transport corridor to connect the Greater Macarthur urban land release areas of Menangle Park, Mt Gilead, Gilead, Appin and West Appin as well as Wilton New Town as the first stage in a more extensive public transport network for the Macarthur;
• investigate within the next five years the need for east-west public transport connections – rapid bus transit or light rail – from Campbelltown CBD to Narellan, and also for Campbelltown to Oran Park, Gregory Hills, Currans Hill and Gledswood Hills;
• review the positioning of Glenfield centre within the draft Greater Sydney Region Plan in light of its strategic location at the junction of multiple metropolitan rail lines and connectivity to the Western Sydney Airport, Liverpool, Parramatta, Kingsford Smith Airport and the Sydney CBD, and the potential that centre has for significant employment development;
• greater State Government commitment for immediate time frames for the transport initiatives, actions and opportunities to be implemented in Campbelltown, the Macarthur region and South West Sydney to support the growth that is occurring and that is set to occur, thus allowing for greater market and community certainty to help drive population, economic and jobs growth.
