Plans for Dakabin’s $15 million wildlife hospital have taken another step towards construction, with the first contractor procurement round now closed and site works scheduled to begin before the end of the year.
Expressions of interest from head contractors closed on 4 September for the Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital at 420 Old Gympie Road.
The process is for construction rather than design, with a restricted construction tender anticipated in October. A builder has not yet been appointed and construction has not started.
City of Moreton Bay expects site preparation to begin in late 2026, ahead of main construction from early 2027. Its 2026–27 Budget also provides for power, water and communications connections at the site.
From Playing Fields to Wildlife Hospital
The hospital will occupy part of the former North Pine Playing Fields, near Boundary Road and the Bruce Highway.
Council considered more than 100 properties before choosing Dakabin, with road access, services, relatively flat terrain and room for future expansion among the factors considered. The land was previously valued at about $3 million.
In October last year, Council granted the Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital Foundation an initial 10-year community lease over the property for $1 a year. The peppercorn arrangement followed the signing of a $15 million State Government funding agreement for the hospital and education hub.
Then Acting Mayor Jodie Shipway said having the hospital in Moreton Bay would cut the distance injured animals had to travel for emergency treatment.
“This new facility will mean injured wildlife such as koalas, kangaroos and echidnas can be treated locally rather than being driven up to two hours for care at RSPCA in Wacol or Australia Zoo in Beerwah,” she said.
Keeping Treatment Closer to Home
Moreton Bay currently sits between the major wildlife hospitals at Wacol and Beerwah, while the Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital Foundation estimates more than 7,000 animals leave the region for medical treatment each year.
Foundation director Christine West said when the lease was announced that the Dakabin facility would benefit both injured animals and the people transporting and caring for them.
“The establishment of the Moreton Bay Wildlife Hospital is such a vital step forward, a dedicated local facility that will keep care close to home, reducing transport stress on injured animals and easing the burden on our rescue network,” she said.
The hospital is intended primarily for the triage and treatment of injured and orphaned native wildlife. Animals will be assessed and stabilised at Dakabin, with some later transferred to carers or specialist rehabilitation facilities.
Expected patients include koalas, kangaroos, possums, gliders, birds, bats, snakes and turtles. Domestic and exotic pets will not be treated.
Builder Search Moves Ahead
Plans include specialist clinical and animal-care areas, along with administration and community facilities. Education and training are also part of the longer-term model.
A 24-hour service remains an ambition rather than a confirmed feature from opening, with round-the-clock operations dependent on staffing and funding.
The Foundation, established by local volunteers in 2022, is overseeing development of the project. An appropriately licensed operator is expected to eventually run the hospital’s clinical service.
The EOI process has now closed, with the restricted construction tender anticipated in October. Site preparation remains scheduled for late 2026, ahead of construction from early 2027.
Published 7-September-2026
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