Celeste Barber responds to Supreme Court ruling on bushfire donations

Celeste Barber has responded to a ruling in the NSW Supreme Court in typical Celeste Barber fashion — with a well-executed joke.

Comedian Celeste Barber has responded to a Supreme Court ruling that millions of dollars raised by her bushfire appeal can’t go to the interstate charities she was trying to support.

Barber, who was behind the largest charity drive in Facebook’s history, joked about the situation in a statement on Monday.

“Turns out that studying acting at university does not make me a lawmaker,” she said.

“So the money will be in the very capable, very grateful hands of the NSW RFS. To our volunteer firefighters you are rock stars like no others.”

She also took to Instagram to share the news, saying the NSW RFS were doing “incredible things” with the money.

“They’re going to be doing trauma counselling, money is going to families who lost firefighters — yes, it’s going to injured firefighters as well. It isn’t going everywhere we wanted it to.

“I want to give you all the love again because holy shitballs Batman, you made a massive difference, it’s crazy.”

Barber had nominated the NSW Rural Fire Service as the beneficiary of the campaign which raised $51.3 million at the beginning of the year.

An update pic.twitter.com/OtfV1G3iR1

— Celeste barber (@celestebarber_) May 25, 2020

On her appeal for help, she wrote: “Please help anyway you can. This is terrifying.”

She quickly exceeded her $30,000 goal and wrote on social media that the money would also be distributed to rural fire services in Victoria and South Australia, as well as to victims of the catastrophic bushfires and to wildlife services.

The NSW Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the trustee could not pay money to other charities or rural fire services — whether in NSW or elsewhere in Australia — to assist people or animals affected by bushfires.

“Some donors may have intended or hoped the money they donated would be used for purposes beyond those which the court has advised are permissible,” Justice Michael Slattery said.

“Despite the trustees’ wish to honour those intentions or hopes, the law provides principles that ensure a degree of certainty in the application of trust funds ... and the court has applied these principles”.

Celeste Barber speaks during the Fire Fight Australia bushfire relief concert at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Sunday, February 16, 2020. Picture: Joel Carrett/AAP

Justice Slattery ordered the parties’ legal costs be paid out of the RFS fund. Barber on Monday said she’d hoped the money could be distributed to other states and charities because “it was such a big and unprecedented amount”.

NSW RFS commissioner Rob Rogers said this morning it is “a difficult situation”.

“By any means, there’s not a lot we can really do about it,” he told Today.

“The fact is the court’s made that decision. The trust is clearly outlined what purposes it’s there for.

“It’s great that the court has expanded our ability to use that to support firefighters directly because we weren’t able to do that before. So we are looking at things like setting up an ongoing legacy fund to make sure we look after the families of firefighters and their children in the future.”

A victim of the bushfires from the NSW South Coast told Today the money “should all go to the victims”.

“Yeah, I’m appalled,” he said.

“I really think it should all go to the victims. Rather than stay with the RFS which is donated to by other sources. And the victims really need that money that she raised. I don’t think it’s been directed in the right area. I think it really needs to go back to us people that really need it because we had a horrific instance that went through here with the fires and the veracity, the whole situation, that has never been seen before.”

The RFS has sought feedback from members regarding how the funds should be spent.

The cash will likely be used to purchase fire fighting equipment including respiratory systems, helmets and tools such as chainsaws.

It will also help improve “network connectivity” in vehicles and upgrade local stations.

— with AAP