SICK and injured turtles are one step closer to finding a new refuge at Fitzroy Island thanks to a $20,000 donation from the World Wildlife Fund to help build a world-class turtle rehabilitation centre and public education facility.

The grant will be presented to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre founders Paul Barnes and Jennie Gilbert, along with a dedicated group of volunteers this morning, to help kick-start construction of the new island facility.

CTRC co-founder and JCU post-graduate researcher Jennie Gilbert said when completed, the 20-tank facility would be the largest voluntary rehabilitation centre of its kind in Queensland.

Using land donated by the owners of the Fitzroy Island Resort, the turtle hospital will include an information centre open to visitors.

It will be an auxiliary to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre in Portsmith which is at capacity.

"At the moment all of the rehabilitation centres up on the east coast of Queensland are full of turtles because of the fact we’ve had the decimation of the seagrass beds and the animals are literally out there starving," Ms Gilbert said.

WWF conservation policy manager Cliff Cobbo said severe weather, boat strikes and entanglement had led to a rise in turtle strandings.

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