Friends of KTBs Media Release

7 june 2007

More funding to the KTBs (but still a shortfall)

The KTB are delighted to announce that in May 2007, they received:

• Federal government: $69,011. This was for a second hand bus and trailer to take our young toadbusters to the front, who do not otherwise have transport to the colonising front.
• WA State government: $36,000. We are grateful for this grant, which recognises the remarkable field work of the KTBs and will go towards field costs and capital equipment.
• BPWA: $20,000. Biodiversity Protection WA – a commercial fundraiser. This donation was for recurrent field costs – which is where the highest expenditure is generated, actually paying for food and fuel for our toadbusters in the field – and for damage to their vehicles and equipment.

Generous private donations are still flowing but we are now looking for corporate sponsorship and significant government support.

KTB toadbusting is becoming more and more expensive as more and more people are in the field, as toadbusters each weekend. From our small beginnings in the field in September 2005, our costs have risen to up to sometimes over $5,000 each weekend, especially when we need some helicopter reconnaissance and team drops in the wet season. Over 30% of the Kununurra community is signed up for toadbusting and it is only lack of transport and support dollars that keeps some of our toadbusters at home on weekends.

The KTBs still dream of recurrent funding for a paid KTB field coordinator employed by the KTB Board, ongoing field costs of our volunteers, and some quad bikes and rhino bikes and a paid maintenance officer….and so much more. As Lee says, “This is a now a seriously large volunteer army we are maintaining on donations and day to day volunteer sweat and toil against a common enemy … for the common good and for our biodiversity.”

Contacts: Lee Scott-Virtue 0429 406 935 or 08 9168 2576; Sandy Boulter at Friends of the Kimberley Toad Busters on 0427 508 582.

If everyone was a toad buster, the toads would be busted!

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE