Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I recently visited the koala hospital at Moggill, which has rescued more than 70,000 koalas in its two decades of operation. I had the honour and privilege of presenting two Ryan Community Service Awards. These awards were granted to two outstanding members of the Ryan electorate for their exceptional work in assisting koalas in Queensland. Recipient Dr Allan McKinnon works as a veterinarian for the state government's Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, where he not only treats and operates on ill koalas but also conducts research regarding the current threats to koala survival and how this can be minimised—for example, by tissue sampling for genetic disease. Dr McKinnon's research, coupled with his knowledge of and devotion for koalas, has helped the hospital to become world renowned amongst the wildlife community.

Also working at the Moggill Koala Hospital is the second award recipient, wildlife ranger Peter Theilemann. Peter has contributed immensely to the rehabilitation of sick koalas and wildlife at the hospital, where he monitors the koalas' health conditions daily. In 30 years of working with wildlife, Peter has devoted and developed exceptional nurturing husbandry skills concerning marsupials and monotremes. The highlight was, however, when Peter reared the smallest ever orphaned koala, at just 78 grams, to adulthood, being the first Australian to do so.

Also, I take this opportunity in National Volunteer Week to pay tribute not only to the volunteers at the Moggill Koala Hospital but also to the tens of thousands of volunteers around Australia who contribute day in and day out for the betterment of our community.