Port Stephens Koala Hospital (PSKH) has received a major boost during Save the Koala Month (September), with the Hospital securing a minimum $100,000 three-year partnership with leading Australian property group Ingenia Communities (Ingenia).
With four existing communities in the Port Stephens region across its lifestyle communities and holiday parks, and several more communities in the pipeline over the next few years, the partnership with PSKH further reflects Ingenia’s investment in the region and commitment to the preservation and conservation of native Australian wildlife.
Ingenia General Manager Residential Justin Blumfield said Ingenia is excited to put its support behind the not-for-profit facility – providing crucial support to cover inevitable care costs.
“Ingenia has always been dedicated to supporting the wider region in which our communities are located, and we are incredibly proud to be partnering with the Port Stephens Koala Hospital and supporting the best practice care they provide,” Mr Blumfield said.
“The past few years have exposed Australians to extreme weather conditions which have equally devastating impacts on our native wildlife, so we are honoured to be able to support the local hospital by not only providing critical funding but also volunteer initiatives.
“We feel a more personal connection to the work at PSKH as one of the current koala residents was found near Latitude One by Ingenia Lifestyle suffering from severe chlamydia after being separated from her mother who sadly could not be found, so the team PSKH has been caring for her since.
“She has made a wonderful recovery but will stay in permanent care at the hospital due to her compromised kidneys.”
Since its purpose-built hospital and rehabilitation facility opened in August 2020, PSKH has admitted 90 koalas and carried out more than 1,000 procedures in a mission to provide best practice care to the native species1.
Welcoming the tremendous support given to the Hospital by Ingenia, PSKH President Ron Land said the facility looks forward to what the new partnership with Ingenia can bring.
“‘The funds are 100 per cent deployed on front line care at the hospital which includes the rescue, treatment, and rehabilitation of the endangered species,” Mr Land said.
“Run by a team of dedicated volunteers and a small cadre of staff, we are particularly excited to be able to welcome Ingenia residents, holiday park visitors and employees to our hospital to support in these efforts.
“We look forward to strengthening the partnership between Ingenia Communities and the Hospital for many years to come.”
Extending beyond the immediate care at the hospital, Ingenia Holidays National Tourism Development Manager Ben Hesketh said Ingenia will support the planting of koala feed trees in defined locations within its lifestyle communities and holidays parks.
“The preservation and conservation of native Australian wildlife is an important part of the rich nature experiences which underpin our holiday parks and lifestyle communities across New South Wales and Australia more broadly,” Mr Hesketh said.
“As we celebrate the launch of this partnership, we look forward to integrating opportunities with the Hospital for our residents, park visitors and staff.”
The Ingenia team has presented a $50,000 cheque to the PSKH team for the first year of the partnership, with $25,000 annually to follow over the next two years.
