The vacancies are for introductory roles in support of carers.

These people would help carry leaf and maintain rehabilitation yards at Anna Bay.

“We need some help,” Port Stephens Koalas president Carmel Northwood said.

“We’re looking for volunteers to work here at Anna Bay, as support carers.”

Port Stephens Koalas has taken on five joeys in recent weeks which has stretched its resources. Normally it would be one or two at most.

While it’s not the glamorous nursing jobs people might associate with the organisation’s work, it’s nonetheless considered vitally important.

“It doesn’t involve close contact. It’s the final stage of their care, ‘dehumanising’ them before they are released,” rescue and care coordinator Simone Aurino said.

“From this base level people could go on to become carers.”

There is a criteria volunteers we need to meet.

“It will depend on their availability and their capacity for training to determine where they can go on the roster as junior carers,” Mrs Northwood said.

“They don’t need to have a cage at home but they need to be reliable and able to keep to a roster.”

Mrs Northwood said the roles might suit people working toward environmental work.

“We’ve got a manual under development with modules to progress their training,” she said.

“No one seems to have developed a manual with competencies.”

“We seem to be at the cutting edge of koala care so it’s good that we can help others and potentially offer a certificate of competency.”

The final stage of koala rehabilitation is conducted to careful minimise stress from human contact.

This involves early morning work (before 9am) when it’s cooler.

“People with a full time job could still do this, it doesn’t exclude working people,” Mrs Aurino said.

“Some fitness is required for carrying leaf and collecting scat. It might only be once a fortnight and people might go months without work if it’s quiet. But this is a good way for people to get a feel for what we do.”

Contact: 0418 628 483.