I’d like to thank you for your ongoing and recent support of our Project Home campaign to prioritise the construction of the new RSPCA ACT campus to be built in Pialligo.
To those who have been following this conversation from the beginning, you know that it has been a long one. Some might even remember the initial promises and announcements made as far back as 2013 regarding fit for purpose facilities.
Fast forward to 2024, I had high hopes that the election commitment to construct and deliver a new fit for purpose RSPCA ACT campus in the last term of Government (which just ended) would occur as promised.
Although I appreciate the many, many meetings with the ACT Government departments and Ministers over the last few years, all the planning and discussions, the approval on the block of land, the concepts designs, the environmental and other studies and the continued assurances, the time truly has come for less talk and more construction action.
And that is why I sincerely thank each and every one of you who took the time to contact your local election candidate and for sharing their replies.
We received positive replies, written and/or verbal commitments of support from every party and confirmation that funds have been provisioned. With so much on record, I take encouragement that in the coming months you will help us keep the new Ministers and the Members of the Legislative Assembly accountable to deliver on their recent commitments.
I remain optimistic, and always positive, that this time round construction will be finished and that we will finally have what the animals of Canberra and their people need, before the next election rolls by.
When the Minister for Animal Welfare in the new ACT Government is announced, I will look forward to regular meetings and contact.
I will also share the wonderful response we have received from supporters like you who share our optimism in increasing our capacity to help more animals and further educate our community with a new campus.
As some of you may know, at this moment we have a surrender list of 196 animals. That’s 196 animals waiting to be surrendered to us that we currently cannot accommodate, much less help them with any ailments and find them new homes.
That’s despite having to raise more puppies than I can remember during my time here and about 100 more cats arriving than this time last year.
Thank you for being such a valuable part of the RSPCA ACT family and for helping us move our new Home higher up the ACT Government priority list.
I look forward to giving you the next update and hopefully we'll see some good action soon.
Warm regards,
Michelle Robertson, CEO
