Development approval brings Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital closer to construction

Development approval brings Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital closer to construction

The Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital has reached an important milestone, with the City of Moreton Bay granting Development Approval (material change of use) for the purpose-built native wildlife hospital at 420 Old Gympie Road, Dakabin.

The approval allows the Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital Foundation to move forward with detailed design, procurement and pre-construction planning for the City of Moreton Bay’s first dedicated wildlife hospital.

A hospital designed for our growing region

The approved master plan provides a framework for the hospital to be constructed in stages.

Stage 1 will deliver a dedicated facility capable of treating up to 7,000 injured, sick and orphaned native animals each year. The site has also been designed to grow over time, with the capacity to accommodate up to 10,000 annual admissions as the region’s population increases and demand for wildlife care grows.

“Securing Development Approval is a major milestone we’ve been working toward,” said Christine West, Director of the Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital Foundation.

“It moves us from the planning table into detailed design, procurement and pre-construction, bringing us one step closer to treating local wildlife right here in Moreton Bay.”

Purpose-built for native wildlife care

Once constructed, the hospital will include triage areas, surgical suites, digital radiography, an intensive care nursery and dedicated wards for birds, mammals and reptiles.

The facility will also incorporate strict biosecurity and infection-control measures. Dedicated quarantine enclosures will help the hospital respond safely to emerging wildlife diseases, including High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza, commonly known as bird flu.

By providing specialist treatment locally, the hospital will reduce the need for injured wildlife to be transported outside the region for care.

What happens next?

The project is supported by $15 million in funding from the Queensland Government, along with the City of Moreton Bay’s commitment to make the Dakabin site available through a community lease arrangement.

With Development Approval secured, the Foundation is now progressing the next phase of the project and seeking corporate and community partnerships to help fund specialised medical equipment and the hospital’s clinical fit-out.

This approval represents much more than progress on a building. It brings the Moreton Bay community one step closer to having a dedicated local facility where native animals can receive the specialist care they need.