Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter has joined the growing calls for long term funding to be reinstated to protect the endangered Cassowary population in North Queensland, urging the Federal Environment Minister to come to the party and provide federal funding.

The Cassowary Rehabilitation Centre at Garners Beach, on the aptly named Cassowary Coast between Innisfail and Tully, was recently forced to close following lack of funding. The Centre cared for injured birds which might have been injured by vehicles or attacked by other animals.

Whilst the State Government has since committed $50,000 to ensure the care of young Cassowary chicks, this is a temporary measure and will not fund treatment of the adult population.

“There’s no doubt that Cassowaries are an exciting tourist attraction,” Mr Katter said today.

“As a result of the worst cyclones in North Queensland history, Cyclone Larry and Cyclone Yassi, Cassowary populations may well have gone close to extinction except for the sterling efforts of a number of nature lovers.

“These people battled their way through fallen trees and vegetation for kilometres to find the stranded Cassowary families whose feed supply was on the ground and within a few days had rotted. Shockingly, the ‘green gestapos’ then threatened prosecution against a number of those people for hand feeding the Cassowaries.

“The Cassowaries have now moved into human areas where they can find food and since they are carnivores as well as vegetarians, they also feed on dead wallabies left on the road and at night time tend to be hit by cars.

“Unfortunately, in spite of the work of our wonderful Queenslanders, the Cassowary numbers are still precariously low, hence the need for our Cassowary Rehabilitation Centre.”

Mr Katter is urging the Environment Minister to provide funding for the Garners Beach Cassowary Rehabilitation Centre, which will require approx. $45,000 - $50,000 per year for its survival.

Mr Katter said he is also going to step up pressure for funding to build tunnels that will allow Cassowaries to walk through dips and crests in the existing Mission Beach Road.

There are reportedly as little as 500 Cassowaries left in the wild and their popularity and presence in North Queensland led to the naming of the ‘Cassowary Coast Regional Council’.