Lismore Council grants 21-year lease to Friends of the Koala

Lismore City Council has granted Friends of the Koala a 21-year lease on the land it occupies and up to the corner of Industry Drive and Rifle Range Road in East Lismore.

Tenure over the extended site of 1.27 hectares will enable the group to proceed with plans to expand its koala care facilities.

Friends of the Koala’s Koala Care and Research Centre and associated plant nursery, located in East Lismore’s koala corridor, have become a regional landmark over the past decade or so.

With the number of koalas now being received into care increasing nearly three-fold and more emphasis being given to community education, expansion of the facilities is necessary.  

“The generous terms of the leasing agreement represent a new balance in the long-standing partnership between Friends of the Koala and the council,” said Friends of the Koala president, Lorraine Vass.

“We’ll have use of the land for just one dollar a year – in monetary terms Lismore Council will be making a considerable contribution to the group’s operation.”

Mayor Jenny Dowell said: “The volunteers in Friends of the Koala do an extraordinary job in caring for and rehabilitating this most precious and iconic animals and in raising the community’s awareness of its vulnerability.

“The site of the current Care Centre is ideal because it is centrally located, easily accessible and in a koala corridor.

“That means that visitors to the centre not only see koalas in care but are likely to see them nearby in the wild.

“Lismore Council is delighted to be able to assist Friends of the Koala and looks forward to the expansion of its Care and Research Centre.”

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