Two koalas named Mack and Gage have been released into bushland on the edge of the Illawarra as the government commits $5 million to establish a koala care centre in the Macarthur region.
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Environment minister Penny Sharpe and WIRES staff and volunteers released the pair into bushland at Wedderburn on Sunday, April 28 as efforts continue to ensure koala populations near the Illawarra can survive.
Both Mack and Gage were taken into care as orphans last year. In Mack's case, the female joey was found with her mother at the base of a tree in Holsworth in July 2023, weighing just 555 grams.
The mother couldn't be saved but Mack was cared for by WIRES to the point of now being ready to return to the wild.
Male joey Gage was taken into care after his mother was hit and killed by a vehicle in Holsworthy in October 2023.
Since being weaned, both have been learning to climb and are now ready for release.
The pair will be observed in a small area of bushland for a week before carers decide if they can take on roaming further afield.
Wedderburn is on the edge of the Dharawal National Park, which stretches from Darkes Forest to Gilead. The National Park hosts one of the largest populations of koalas in southern Sydney.
However, environment groups say encroaching development in south-west Sydney is leading to population decline, with the koala listed as endangered in 2022.
Ms Sharpe said the funding would address this decline, while supporting wildlife carers.
"The NSW Government is committed to ensuring the survival of koalas like Mack and Gage in the wild, and the koala care centre will help through rescue, rehabilitation and eventual release," she said.
$4.5m will establish the koala care centre as part of the Wildlife Health and Conservation Hospital on the Camden campus of the University of Sydney.
The remaining $500,000 will support volunteer rehabilitators via a grant program.
"Safeguarding these koalas is vital," Ms Sharpe said. "We want future generations to be able to step into bushland in south western Sydney and see koalas in the wild."
