THE MERCURY (Hobart, Australia) 27 February 06 Snake lifeline closure fiasco (Rohan Wade)
A State Government funding glitch has put the bite on a potentially lifesaving volunteer snake removal service.
Reptile Rescue, a network of 60 volunteers who respond to calls from the public to remove snakes, has been forced to close because funding to pay its phone bills is frozen due to the state election.
Reptile Rescue chief executive officer Ian Norton said yesterday that because the state was now in caretaker government mode, crucial funding to keep the service operational could not be provided until after the March 18 poll.
In 2004, the State Government agreed to help the cash-strapped volunteers pay phone bills, which are as much as $5500 a year.
But after the election was called the money could not be provided and, faced with a two-month $1500 phone bill and no money to pay it, the organisation had no choice but to shut down on Friday.
Since then callers to the 24-hour hotline have been advised to call a recorded Primary Industries Department message, even though there are no personnel able to assist with snake removals.
Mr Norton said he hoped the closure was temporary and he had spoken with the department's resource management and conservation general manager John Whittington who indicated interim funding might be available.
A herpetologist with decades of experience, Mr Norton said it was often only when people tried to deal with snakes themselves that they were bitten.
Primary Industries, Water and Environment secretary Kim Evans said the department only recently learned of Reptile Rescue's situation and was considering what it could do as a matter of urgency.
There have been unprecedented numbers of snake sightings this summer, with Reptile Rescue getting as many as 12 calls a day.
Apart from the phone bill funding, Reptile Rescue gets no other government assistance and its trained volunteers have to pay their own costs and insurance fees.
A $30 donation requested for removing a snake is rarely paid.
Snake lifeline closure fiasco

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