Packers take their bushfire donation up to $5m

Philanthropists, banks and celebs have thrown their weight behind the bushfire donations effort.

Billionaire James Packer. Picture: Getty Images

Billionaire James Packer and Crown Resorts have lifted their donation to support bushfire relief to $5m, joining a growing number of billionaires and celebrities to back the fire recovery effort.

Crown Resorts and the Packer Family Foundation increased their November pledge of $1m by another $4m to support volunteer fire services in NSW, Victoria and Western Australia (states where Crown has resorts) and to charitable organisations providing ­relief to affected people and wildlife nationally.

In addition to the $1m donation for the NSW Rural Fire Service announced in November, a further $1m was donated to the Victorian Country Fire Authority and $500,000 to the Western Australian Bush Fire Brigade.

The Australian Red Cross will receive $500,000 while $1m each will go to the Victorian government fund and Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) and Zoos Victoria.

The combined total from billionaire philanthropists, banks, celebrities and an LA-based model is now $50m.

 

The chairman of investment company Thorney Opportunities, Alex Waislitz, pledged $1m on Monday. “I think every Australian wants to help those affected if they can, and I’m happy to do my bit,’’ he said.

Billionaire Anthony Pratt said it was “up to all of us to come ­together in times of crisis and lend a hand” as he announced his family’s foundation would donate $1m to the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal.

Westpac Group established a $1.5m bushfire fund on Monday and ANZ pledged $1m, $300,000 of which will go to volunteer fire services across NSW, Victoria and South Australia

Commonwealth Bank said it would donate $1m towards bushfire disaster relief efforts, with $750,000 for local community grants and a $250,000 foundation to the Australian Red Cross.

National Australia Bank set up a similar $1m fund on Friday to help its customers and staff displaced by the fires.

Sydney hospitality billionaire Justin Hemmes donated $500,000 to the NSW Rural Fire Service after seeing first-hand the “brave efforts of our firefighters as they worked around the clock to protect the communities in Berrara and Narooma”.

Mr Hemmes has been on the fire-affected south coast where he owns two properties, one in ­Narooma and one near Jervis Bay. He said his Merivale company would also start fundraising — open to staff and patrons — to raise another $500,000 for the RFS.

LA-based model and online sex worker Kaylen Ward has reportedly raised more than $500,000 for bushfire relief by offering nude photos in exchange for donations. She calls herself The Naked Philanthropist on social media.

Actress Rebel Wilson auctioned two lunches at the annual Magic Millions Polo on the Gold Coast on Sunday, raising $100,000, and cricket legend Shane Warne is auctioning off his Baggy Green.

Queensland businessman Clive Palmer has donated the use of a private helicopter and its pilot for use in the bushfires disaster and is encouraging other private aircraft owners to do likewise.

“This aircraft and highly- trained pilot with former navy and army aviation experience is ready to assist with immediate evacu­ations, or in any capacity ­required,’’ Mr Palmer said.

Real estate firm McGrath on Sunday told its staff it would encourage the donation of $100 from every sale to the Red Cross, and the company would match each donation, with the aim of raising $200,000 in two months.

The Sydney Festival announced on Monday it would hold a bushfire relief concert on Saturday headlined by Dan Sultan, Art vs. Science and Regurgitator, with all the proceeds going to the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery ­Appeal and NSW’s WIRES.

Comedian Celeste Barber’s online fundraiser had raised $36m from 600,000 individual donors as of 8pm on Monday.

The contributions follow $1m from shopping centre owner John Gandel and his wife, Pauline, last month to be shared among the Australian Red Cross, Salvation Army and St ­Vincent de Paul ­Society.