THE RSPCA is to get a new home at the former John Oxley Youth Detention Centre in Brisbane`s west.
Premier Anna Bligh announced the move today at the RSPCA`s major fundraiser Million Paws walk in Brisbane where she and her golden retriever Zeddy joined 4000 other dogs and their owners.
Ms Bligh said the former John Oxley Youth Detention Centre site and adjoining land at Wacol would be provided for the relocation and expansion of RSPCA operations in Queensland.
She said the site, valued at up to $7 million, would take the state government`s contribution to the RSPCA`s new operations to $19 million.
“It`s a wonderful site allowing for future expansion and has existing facilities and will have an animal education centre so we will see the services of the RSPCA grow,” Ms Bligh said in Brisbane.
Ms Bligh said the RSPCA had outgrown its rundown Fairfield depot and the Government had worked in partnership with them to find an alternative site for its relocation and expansion.
The former Redbank Rifle Range site was originally proposed but Ms Bligh said investigations revealed extensive underground mining on the site, which would make it at risk of subsidence.
“We hope to see construction as soon as possible and could see animals on site by 2009,” she said.
RSPCA Queensland President Eileen Thumpkin said the John Oxley site, which has been dormant for seven years, would be transformed into a start of the art animal care campus.
Ms Thumpkin is particularly excited about new educational facilities to accommodate school visits.
“If we can reach the children of today we can make the society of tomorrow more compassionate and hopefully less violent towards animals,” Ms Thumpkin said.
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