Wildlife rehabilitation sector strategy

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has been busy implementing the volunteer wildlife rehabilitation sector strategy to help support volunteers and improve wildlife rehabilitation in New South Wales.

The volunteer wildlife rehabilitation sector provides an invaluable service to the community that should be better appreciated, coordinated and supported to ensure it can meet future demands and expectations.

The NSW volunteer wildlife rehabilitation sector strategy outlines our actions to support the wildlife rehabilitation sector. It incorporates actions already funded through the NSW Koala Strategy, augmented by additional funding provided by the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife through the Environmental Trust.

We published a 3-year report on our achievements to December 2023, celebrating the successes of the volunteer wildlife rehabilitation sector strategy. We have achieved significant support for volunteers and improvements to wildlife rehabilitation through implementation of the strategy's actions.

Following these strong results, the timeframe for the strategy has been extended to complete work already commenced.

Wildlife rehabilitation sector review 2024

While the work of the strategy continues, in 2024 we will be undertaking a new review to continue improving support to the wildlife rehabilitation sector.

This review will examine challenges, identify opportunities and help guide future support for the wildlife rehabilitation and associated veterinary sectors.

It will be led by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Ms Trish Doyle MP and will advise the Minister for the Environment, the Hon. Penny Sharpe MLC, of opportunities to improve support to the wildlife rehabilitation sector. We will publish a report on its findings.

Get involved

Stakeholder participation is vital to the success of the review to ensure the next steps are informed by those undertaking this valuable work. There will be a range of options for engagement: complete a survey, attend a roundtable or site visit in the local area as well as providing submissions. More information will be announced in September.

All stakeholders and members of the public can make a submission to the review. We recommend considering the terms of reference (below) and discussion paper (forthcoming) if you do so.

Dates and timeline for submissions to be announced in September.

To be released.

To facilitate a focused approach for this review, terms of reference have been identified to define key areas of examination and discussion:

1. Challenges for the sector, including future trajectories and risks

What are the challenges facing the wildlife rehabilitation sector in New South Wales? Have these challenges changed over time? Are these challenges on a trajectory of improvement or decline? What are the future issues and risks that the sector is likely to face?

2. Connections within the sector

How are wildlife rehabilitation groups connected to each other? Do they communicate and work together in training and mentoring, and sharing of resources? If not, what benefits could arise from ongoing connection? Are there barriers to this occurring? How could government assist communication and collaboration across the sector including interactions with local veterinary hospitals?

3. Service gaps and duplication

Across the sector, is there coverage across a range of species? What is the focus of each organisation and is this complementary to other organisations? Is there duplication within geographic areas, when diversification could be more beneficial? Where could future investments in wildlife rehabilitation assets be deployed?

4. Involvement of wildlife rehabilitation groups in emergency response or significant wildlife events

Are there other opportunities to formally include wildlife rehabilitators in emergency response? Are there opportunities to better support the sector to respond to significant wildlife related events, such as heat stress in flying foxes?

5. Administrative arrangements and legislative provisions relating to rescue and rehabilitation

Examine current arrangements, including legislation, administration, governance and policy and reporting frameworks for the wildlife rehabilitation and associated veterinary sectors to determine if they continue to meet the needs of the sectors and government and provide a robust framework.

6. Resourcing for the wildlife rehabilitation sector

How is the wildlife rehabilitation sector resourced and what current and future resourcing gaps exist? What opportunities are available to establish novel methods to supplement support and build a sustainable model for the sector?

7. Supporting accredited wildlife hospitals and veterinary practices for their work in treating injured wildlife

How can wildlife hospitals and other veterinary practices be supported in the provision of critical wildlife assessment and treatment services? What are the barriers to this occurring? What approaches might be suitable for resourcing these services? How can the data acquired from veterinary hospitals be integrated into a wildlife rehabilitation data management system?

A baby flying fox, wrapped in a blanket, being held by a wildlife carer

Two infant turtles in clear rippling shallow water with pebbles and sand visible underneath