A downside of the Black Summer bushfire donations windfall

Up to 80 per cent of koalas were lost from some areas during the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires, and the harrowing footage so tugged at heartstrings around the world that WIRES collected $102.5 million in donations to care for burnt and injured animals.

But sudden wealth can sour good intentions. The Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service, Australia’s largest wildlife rescue charity, is being rent by civil war between voluntary members and the newly enhanced administration. More than 900 of around 4000 WIRES volunteers have refused to endorse a new constitution rammed through by head office as part of a switch from an association to a company.

That leaves some quarter of the WIRES total membership in legal limbo because they did not click a link to remain part of the organisation and accept the constitution, yet are authorised to care for wildlife only through their membership. Many members claim the new constitution erodes volunteers’ rights by creating two tiers – members with voting rights who do not have to be carers and authorised persons who can care for wildlife under the WIRES licence but do not have input as members – and forcing members to reapply each year. The new constitution also limits the right of members to inspect financial records, while simultaneously reducing oversight over the bushfire money.

WIRES services in Greater Sydney, south-east Queensland and Tasmania have reportedly signalled plans to expand nationwide. In June, the Herald’s Caitlin Fitzsimmons revealed that while administration costs had soared, WIRES still retained $69 million from Black Summer donations: expenses of $16.5 million were up from $15.6 million the previous financial year, including large hikes in accounting bills and employee benefit expenses. Money spent on wildlife rescue and branch support went down.

The WIRES imbroglio is not the only shadow to fall between the idea and the reality of Black Summer donations. The comedian Celeste Barber urged her eight million followers on Instagram to help victims. They donated $51 million, only to learn their money would not help those in need because the deed governing the NSW Rural Fire Service Trust only permitted donations to be spent on equipment, training and administration.

Previously, WIRES’ income was about $3 million, but the one-off windfall was responsible for the NSW Department of Fair Trading requiring the charity to change from an association to a company limited by guarantee. The change in corporate structure meant the organisation had to adopt a new constitution, which was rejected by members at three separate meetings before the administration registered its preferred constitution with ASIC without calling another vote.

NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe announced a review of the state’s wildlife rehabilitation organisations in May. It remains uncompleted. An issue to address are the pitfalls that confront this largely volunteer sector when they rub up against professionals.

Unfortunately, the insurrection at WIRES has created confusion about who is authorised to care for animals, and puts the charity at risk of losing much goodwill.

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