Celeste Barber's bushfire fundraiser eclipsed all expectations when it raked in $51.3 million in January.
Key points:
- Celeste Barber's initial aim was to raise $30,000 but she raised $51.3 million
- Her fundraiser explicitly stated it was meant for the Trustee for the RFS
- The NSW Supreme Court ruled it could not be distributed to charities or interstate firefighters
But a ruling in the NSW Supreme Court confirms the money can't be legally used on many of the causes the comedian named when it soared past her initial target of $30,000.
Here's where it will go.
New helmets
Volunteers with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) will be the biggest beneficiaries of the money, which will bolster their safety in upcoming fire seasons.
According to NSW RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers, this could be as basic as a new helmet for the 70,000 members across the state's brigades.
Also high on the list are new types of respiratory protection, which is usually funded by the State Government but having the huge kitty will speed up the rollout.
Mr Rogers said there were no plans for "flashy planes" because the organisation already owned a large air tanker and multiple helicopters.
The RFS has 5,000 vehicles and trucks will be retrofitted with the latest protective sprays and curtains.
The funds will also pay for modifications to RFS stations and on training of personnel.
Families looked after
Injured NSW firefighters and the families of NSW volunteers who were killed will also be looked after and Mr Rogers said that plan extended to "not today and tomorrow, but years to come".
However, it will only apply to NSW personnel because others — for example, American firefighters who were killed or injured — would be covered under separate schemes.
The court's ruling specifically mentions psychological injury, which means money can be spent on mental health initiatives and trauma counselling.
The terms of the trust deed also allow for it to be spent on administrative bills.
Mr Rogers said the organisation could "absolutely" spend the enormous sum and donors could be assured it would make firefighters better equipped to perform their duties.
He said the RFS would report publicly on how the money was spent and Barber would also have "full visibility".
Who misses out
Money raised by Barber can't go directly towards bushfires victims.
The court's decision also excluded causes which many donors expected their money to go towards, including the Australian Red Cross and animal welfare group WIRES.
The money also cannot be distributed to other states.
"Some donors may have intended or hoped that the money they donated would be used for purposes beyond those which the court has advised are permissible," NSW Supreme Court Justice Michael Slattery said yesterday.
In a statement, Barber said she hoped the money would be distributed beyond the "very capable, very grateful" hands of the NSW RFS.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA1LTI2L2hvdy1jZWxlc3RlLWJhcmJlci01MS1taWxsaW9uLWJ1c2hmaXJlLWRvbmF0aW9uLWNhbi1iZS1zcGVudC8xMjI4NDE3ONIBJ2h0dHBzOi8vYW1wLmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvYXJ0aWNsZS8xMjI4NDE3OA?oc=5
2020-05-25 19:44:16Z
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