In June 2020, AEFI was successful in securing government funding from the Bushfire Local Economic Recovery Fund to build a Wildlife Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre at the Secret Creek Sanctuary. 

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The need follows the devastating 2019/20 bushfires in which more than three billion animals – mammals, reptiles, birds and frogs – were killed or displaced (143 million mammals, 2.46 billion reptiles, 180 million birds, and 51 million frogs) (Australia’s 2019-2020 Bushfires: The Wildlife Toll, commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature). Many animals in the local area suffered the same fate. All of the rescue, rehabilitation and release activity during the bushfires had to be sourced from other areas of NSW. Due to this lack of veterinary wildlife expertise, support and resources locally, we’ve seen the need for a dedicated wildlife hospital.  

 

The Wildlife Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre will serve the Blue Mountains and Central West region, which are surrounded by six NSW National Parks providing habitat to a variety of endangered and rare species requiring support in times of natural disasters. 

This includes Blue Mountains National Park, Wollemi National Park, Kanangra-Boyd National Park, Marrangarroo National Park, Turon National Park, and Gardens of Stone National Park. Within the region are also a variety of endangered species requiring protection, a couple of these include Spotted-Tail Quolls (Dasyurus maculatus), Brush-Tailed Rock Wallabies (Petrogale penicillata), Blue Mountains Water Skink (Eulamprus leuraensis), and the Regent Honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia). 

 

We are collaborating with Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital (BBWH) and their staff on the design function and fit-out requirements. BBWH will be the operational managers that will collaborate and partner with AEFI & Secret Creek Sanctuary to carry out rescue and rehabilitation work. The fully fenced, predator-free Sanctuary as well as the 1000—acre AEFI property on the Newnes Plateau will provide opportunities for release.

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“Funding for the projects at the Secret Creek Sanctuary are part of the recovery journey of the Lithgow region following the devastating bushfires and helps us to continue repairing the social and economic fabric of the community” said Mr Paul Tool MP.

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Progress of the project:

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We finished all detailed design documentation and applied for Development Approval with Lithgow Council in July 2022. 

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