Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the north-west coast of Tasmania, located 20 kilometres inland of Ulverstone and nestled in a beautiful valley, is the small town of Gunns Plains. The town was named after Ronald Campbell Gunn, a prolific and renowned botanist, who described the native plants of Tasmania in the 1800s.

The 2021 census recorded a population of 195 in Gunns Plains. It's post office opened on 3 April 1900 and closed in 1974. It has a fabulous country hall where I have, over many years, enjoyed a game of badminton followed by the usual country supper. The Leven River winds slowly through its pastures, which support a variety of grazing stock. Agricultural endeavours are also very successful, benefiting from rich, red volcanic soil. The community was involved in a significant number of men going to the First World War.

One of the attractions in the area is Wing's Wildlife Park, which has local animals such as Tasmanian devils, quolls, koalas, wombats, echidnas, bandicoots, possums, squirrel gliders and many macropods, as well as animals from overseas including bison, water buffalo, camels, donkeys, deer, capybaras, meerkats—which are particularly cute—and macaque and marmoset monkeys—which are really the cutest. Additionally, there are a number of other animals, including birds and reptiles, such as ostriches, emus, eagles, falcons, owls, cockatoos, snakes and lizards.

Wing's Wildlife Park has a history over seven generations of the Wing family living and farming within the Gunns Plains community. Colin and Megan Wing are the fifth generation, founding the park in 1986. They offer the largest wildlife park with onsite accommodation and display the largest collection of Tasmanian wildlife in Australia where you can explore and get up close with the wildlife. Wing's Wildlife Park is the only park to have imported American bison into Tasmania.

In October 2022, a devastating flood swept through the park, wreaking havoc, knocking down fences, wiping sides out of animal enclosures and wrecking the animal hospital that sat on the site. The force of the water was so severe that it ripped the hospital from its foundations. This was the third flood that was suffered by the park since 1986. A few days after the flood swept through, when it was safe to do so, I visited the park not only to assess the damage but to lend my support to Colin, Megan, the many employees of the park and the community as a whole. It was devastating to see what had been built up over many years destroyed so quickly. There were Tasmanian devils just wandering around the park. Their fences had been washed away. Marmoset monkeys remained in their enclosure for three days with the side ripped out, and the employees stayed on the site to ensure that the animals were fed and looked after.

At this time, Colin and Megan were questioning whether they would rebuild or just simply close the park. The third flood had just been too much. The community came out in full force with assistance of every type to help clean up, rebuild and provide support to the Wings. The decision at that stage was taken away from Colin and Megan. The community not only from the surrounding district but from across Tasmania had spoken. They said, 'We are here to help and get you reopened.'

The next step was the rebuilding, or not, of the wildlife hospital. Of course, it had to be done, and it was done. This is the only wildlife hospital in the north of the state. In the words of Ian Waller, who is an icon from the park:

We have begged, borrowed, bought new, second hand and received free equipment for the Vet Space. We received $428,000 from the Government to build this facility and were over the moon—that amount alone is barely enough to fit out a vet space we did not know this at the time—but we do now. What we have achieved is truly incredible with the resources we have had at our disposal. I spoke with a lady only last night who is doing what we have done—and she and her husband are vets and when I told her about the Xray machine we have she almost cried asking how we could have afforded that highlighting that they have decided that they simply will not be able to get one at all.

Ian says:

I am well known online—there are veterinary equipment sites and people contact me directly now when they have gear to sell (or more specifically to give away) because they know of our position.

The community wildlife hospital building is now functional. They have licences, including an X-ray licence, and they now have a vet who is licensed to use the equipment. It is a large structure which is now used for food preparation for the animals in the park. For 18 months, the staff prepared food for the animals in an open carport, and it does get pretty chilly down there in the winter. It is used for storage and staff facilities—all the things that were lost in the floods—and one third of it is a nearly fully equipped veterinary space. For the continued success of the hospital into the future, we'll need support in the way of donations and volunteers. But I know the fantastic community of Braddon and hopefully those much further afield will come to their assistance to ensure the ongoing viability of the hospital.

As Ian said, with the help of federal and state funding, it was rebuilt, and, on 25 July, I had the pleasure, alongside the Premier of Tasmania, Jeremy Rockliff, and Megan and Colin Wing, of officially opening the community wildlife hospital. The community turned out in droves. There were just rows on rows of people from everywhere, including the local mayors from right across the neighbouring councils. A lot of them had provided help to get the park up to scratch. It was a fantastic day.

I want to congratulate Colin, Megan, their family, Ian Waller and all the employees of the park, as well as the fabulous community who pulled together at that time to ensure that this icon continued for the enjoyment of locals and tourists not only from Tassie but from the big island over here and from around the globe.