Port Stephens Council approved the loan from its property reserve fund on Tuesday night so that it can engage various specialists and consultants on the design.

"With this funding, Council can get on with the development application process and ultimately bring forward the opening of the Koala Sanctuary," the council's Corporate Services group manager Carmel Foster said.

"Once the detailed planning phase is complete, it's anticipated construction will commence in 2018 and will take approximately 4 to 6 months.

The proposal for the Koala Sanctuary at Treescape Holiday Park was adopted unanimously in May.

It includes facilities for care, conservation, education and eco-tourism.

"In the meantime, Council is developing branding for the Koala Sanctuary, while Port Stephens Koalas have begun constructing koala rehabilitation pens where the facility will be built," Ms Foster said.

Cr Geoff Dingle moved that the funds should be brought forward.

“More importantly [than the planning] this will allow the koala carers to get on site and complete the shelters they need,” he said.

“The only way Port Stephens Koalas can start to get the volunteers they need is for this work to begin on site.”

The deputy mayor, Cr Chris Doohan, seconded the motion.

“Build it and they will come is the quote from a film about baseball but it’s quite poignant,” he said.

“Hopefully this is the starting point where we begin to save this population.”

Ms Foster said the advance in funds would help deliver the sanctuary in 2018.

"Port Stephens is home to one of the last remaining koala populations on the east coast of Australia, but numbers are in decline," she said.

"This facility will play a vital role in ensuring the survival of our local koala population long into the future."

Previously….

Preliminary work ‘crucial’ on koala facility