$10m Black Summer fireys fund still not ready to distribute money to heroes

Victims are yet to receive a single cent from a $10m fund set up for injured and fallen firefighters using money raised by comedian Celeste Barber during the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires.

A $10 million fund set up for injured and fallen firefighters using money raised by comedian Celeste Barber during the Black Summer bushfires is yet to deliver a cent to victims.

Legal and administrative issues have been blamed for the delays, with the government hoping the money will begin to flow after the fund is finalised by the end of this year.

An update on the fund was given during­ a Budget Estimates hearing on Friday, with NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Rob Rogers revealing how he hoped former police commissioner Ken Moroney would become part of the fund’s board.

More than $100 million was raised in the wake of the 2019-20 fires, including $51 million donated by the public after a call-out by Barber.

However, the distribution of some of donations had been plagued by legal issues, with Barber having nominated the NSW RFS and Brigades ­Donation Fund for the $51.3 million raised through her Facebook fundraiser, and a deed governing the trust allowing the money to be spent on purchasing and maintaining equipment, training and administrative costs only.

Comedian and social media star Celeste Barber encouraged fans to donate during the Black Summer bushfires. Picture: Supplied by Witchery

After a court ruled the money could be given to the families of fallen firefighters and injured firefighters, the NSW government moved to set up a special $10 million benevolent fund similar to NSW Police Legacy.

In answer to Opposition questions about why “not a cent” had been spent from the fund, Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said the necessary approvals had now been finalised, with a call for members to join the board to occur next week.

RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers at Budget Estimates on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Swift

RFS Commissioner Rogers said there had been considerable approvals that had been needed to set up the fund.

“The aim is to set up the Benevolent Fund very similar to Police Legacy,” he said.

“Indeed, we have engaged Police Legacy and I am hoping to have retired police commissioner Ken Moroney actually become part of our board.”

Labor MP Mark Buttigieg said it was unacceptable it had taken so long to set up the fund.

He said 832 firefighters had been ­injured “and about 46 hospitalisations” as a result of the fires, with four deaths.

Four firefighters died and 832 were ­injured in the horror fire season. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“We are now in August 2022 — 2½ years after the fund was approved — and not a single cent has gone to those families,” he said.

“You’ve got deaths, you’ve got injuries, you’ve got a woman who has gone out of her way to raise $51 million — $10 million of it which was hypothecated to the families, and we’ve had not one single cent gone to those families.

“Have we only just got the governance in place for this fund?”

While the Benevolent Fund was still being established, a NSW RFS statement declared the families of firefighters killed during Black Summer had received payments from other fundraising appeals set up at the time.

“The establishment of the Benevolent Fund will ensure that support is provided to the families of firefighters killed on duty and assist those injured on the fireground,” it said.

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