Council Executives

District 1: Northern Region

Cape York / Dry Tropics / Gulf

Position Vacant

District 2: Northern Region

Wet Tropics / Cairns Marine

Connie Pinson- [Secretary]

Cow Bay Qld.

Phone: 07 40989056   (click to call)

I live in the Daintree and have been working with Wildlife for 20 years, starting out originally in Mid North Coast NSW with Wires.
I predominantly work with Bats and Flying-foxes, including presenting Bat Training throughout Australia.
I am also trained and experienced with Birds and Small Mammals (mainly Bandicoots and Melomys) and have some limited experience with Possums.
I have previously been both President and Vice President in various Wildlife Groups.
In my spare time, my partner and I run a business called Daintree Life and in the last 18 months have begun rainforest revegetation work in the Daintree. To date we have planted over 7,000 trees – expanding wildlife habitat. For all carers one of the hardest things about getting animals into care is being able to release them with the knowledge that they can be returned to the wild with sufficient habitat to sustain them.
I am also an avid photographer, with a strong interest in Wildlife and Nature photography.
I hope as the District Rep for Far North Qld, to be able to be a conduit for QWRC Wildlife members/Carers in this area and would like to encourage all members from the area to feel free to contact me for help.

District 3: Northern Region

Savannah / Townsville Marine

Kym Chiesa

Townsville

Phone: 0417 211 918 (click to call)

District 4: Central Region

Mackay / Whitsunday

Kirsty Black

Andergrove Mackay

Phone: 0498 158 114 (click to call)
email: ak1.black@bigpond.com (click to email)

I have been an avid animal lover my whole life. I was always “that” kid bringing home stray animals, we had an enormous fig tree at my childhood home that was home to so many creatures.

As soon as I was 18 I registered to be a wildlife rehabilitator. Then – marriage, children and life happened.
Early 2019 – we witnessed a baby possum fall from a tree in the middle of the day. We rescued him, kept him safe and warm until later that night when we reunited bub and mum.

This simple act ignited a long ignored passion inside of me that I didn’t realise I had and steered me back to my wildlife.

Since then I have attended formal Bat Training, Macropod Training, Advanced Macropod Training, Koala Training and as many other trainings as I can find. I have created many life long friendships. I have been on wildlife group committees and still am on a local wildlife group committee.

I also hold an individual permit and just registered our land with Land for Wildlife and the Wildlife Heritage Land Trust.

I’m very passionate about Responsible Rehabilitation- ie: giving our animals the very best chance possible at being released. Knowing when to be hands on and hands off. Knowing the code of practice inside and out with cage/enclosure requirements.
Networking with other groups and individuals to find buddies and release sites.

I’m constantly striving to create a cohesive and supportive wildlife community.

I am always just a phone call away if anyone needs anything and will help wherever I can. If I don’t know the answer to a question, I will always be able to source out someone who does.

District 5 Central Region

Capricorn / Gladstone

Janet Irvine – [Treasurer – Membership Secretary]

Rosedale Qld.

Phone: 0411 254 661 (click to call)
email: janet-irvine@hotmail.com (click to email)

District 6: Central Region

Longreach

Kim Palmer – [Chairperson]

Muttaburra Qld.

Phone: 0436 366 452 (click to call)
I have lived in Muttaburra, part of Barcaldine Regional Council, for over 15 years. I have, along with my husband, been caring for animals and birds both here and in North Brisbane for over 20 years. I feel district 6 will benefit from having a representative who can voice the concerns of members and carers in our remote area.

District 7: Southern Region

Wide Bay Burnett / Great Sandy

Judy Elliott

Rosedale Qld.

Phone: 0428 980 814 (limited service) (click to call)

I have been a carer over 20 years mainly specialising in the furries and I really love the pinkie macropods. I volunteered for many years at the Moggill Koala Hospital so also cared for lots of Koala joeys. We have Koalas on our land but have not seen one come into care in this area yet.

My husband and I purchased 240 acres in the Rosedale area and had it registered as Glider Gully Nature Refuge with the Queensland government. It is a Eucalypt forest with a wattle and grasstree understorey that backs onto a large State forest. It is home to an enormous variety of wildlife including five species of macropods, Koalas, Long-nosed bandicoots, gliders, and birds together with frogs, snakes, lizards and butterflies. We have yet to identify lots of the critters that we see and hear.

We arrived from the UK in 1988 and were delighted to learn that Koalas were resident in the area (Pine Rivers Shire) where we were buying land. We planted our block with natives and registered it with Land for Wildlife. We joined (and became office bearers) of the local branch of the Wildlife Preservation Society of Qld and I later worked for their Head Office in Brisbane. We also became active members of the Society for Growing Australian Plants. It horrifies us to see all the exotic plants that people have in their yards, together with all their cats and dogs!

We sold our property and spent 12 months travelling around Australia, visiting local carers wherever we could. We designed and owner-built an octagonal house in the centre of our block. We have solar power that we are very happy with, solar hot water and satellite broadband and eventually got a phone line buried beneath our 2km drive!

I am Secretary of the Qld Wildlife Carers and Volunteers group based in Bundaberg. I am also Editor of RnR QWRC’s newsletter. I would like to to meet (or at least be able to contact) the carers resident in District 7 who I represent. I am happy receiving phone calls or emails from other carers.

District 8 Southern Region

South West

Lea Macken

Hungerford Qld.

Phone: 0428 437 984 (limited service) (click to call)

District 9 Southern Region

Toowoomba

Terise Hungerford

Dalby Qld.

Phone: 0448 814 882 (click to call)

My first memories of caring for macropods was in my early pre teen years. Many years ago! Bex powder bottles used for formula and half the linen cupboard keeping the joeys warm hanging around the No.7 kitchen wood stove. I have lived within District 9 Toowoomba for the majority of my life.

As the representative for the district I hope to build a rapport with members to establish shared concerns and aim to improve standards and outcomes of our native wildlife rehabilitation and release throughout Queensland.

I hope members will engage with me by contacting me, allow me to advocate on their behalf as a Councillor and the collaborative climate the committee is founded on in representing wildlife rehabilitators.

District 9 Toowoomba members can email me at wildlifedalby@gmail.com.
I look forward to hearing from you!

District 10: Southern Region

Sunshine Coast / Southern Marine

Glendell Appleford

Wivenhoe Pocket Qld.

Phone: 0413 453 722 (click to call)

I became a registered wildlife carer ten years ago after completing a Wildlife Conservation Course. I had promised myself that once I left my nursing career, I would direct my activities towards conservation and wildlife management. I am currently a member of the Ipswich Koala Protection Society, S.W.A.G (Student Wildlife Association Gatton), W.P.S.Q. (Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland) and an Honorary Park Ranger with Ipswich City Council.

As a generalist wildlife carer, I have great pleasure in caring for all our creatures, great and small from the tiniest feathertail glider which I rescued and raised from five grams through to the big kangaroos. I am also passionate about the birds and bats in my belfry as well. My greatest pleasure is being able to release all of these beautiful creatures back to their natural habitat. However, my greatest sadness is that their habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate. This is why I believe that we need to stay acutely aware of what is happening and to try to ensure that there will be suitable habitats and management of our wildlife for future generations. How privileged we are to share our lives with such unique wildlife.

I am available to discuss any areas of concern that wildlife rehabilitators encounter either by telephone, email or ‘snail mail.’ I look forward to hearing from you.

District 11: Southern Region

South East / Moreton Bay

Lana Field

Brisbane Qld.

Phone: 0412 036 655 (click to call)

Positions

Chairperson – Kim Palmer

Phone: 0436 366 452 (click to call)

Vice Chairperson – Lea Macken

Phone: 0428 437 984 (click to call)

Secretary – Connie Pinson

Phone: 07 40 989 056 (click to call)

Treasurer – Janet Irvine

Phone: 0411 254 661 (click to call)

Membership Secretary – Janet Irvine

Phone: 0411 254 661 (click to call)

Trustees

Queensland Wildlife Rehabilitation Council

Glendell Appleford

Annie Saunders